A show cat that was lost for over 24 hours in the Denver International Airport has been located thanks to Southwest Airlines crew, according to KUSA. Ginger Thompson and her prized Breezy, a year-old Bengal cat, flew into the Mile High City for a cat competition, but when it was time to return home to Vancouver, Washington, that's when things went awry.
Thompson was boarding the plane around 9:30 p.m. Sunday (August13) when someone bumped into the cat carrier holding Breezy, causing the safety clip to come off and open the zipper slightly. The elusive feline slipped out of the bag and ran through the open plane door on the bridge, falling through a gap and onto the tarmac below, reporters learned.
Breezy has been missing since then, leaving the owner extremely anxious about her pet's safety.
“It’s been a little over 24 hours since I lost Breezy. I’m going out of my mind worrying," Thompson wrote on her Facebook page. "Trying to be patient but laying here in the hotel waiting is killing me and I’m losing any hope as each hour passes."
Her worries came to an end on Monday (August 14) when Southwest employees found Breezy hiding under a ramp area. Thompson said the Bengal cat was "rough around the edges with discharge" and that her pure white chin was stained for oil. Beyond that, Breezy's safe and will be evaluated by a veterinarian, the owner confirmed.
“Our team worked quickly to safely secure the cat, and then worked with the City of Denver to reunite Breezy with its owner,” the company said in a statement, per KDVR.
Thompson herself thanked everyone for their help in locating Breezy. She wrote, “Also THANK YOU to everyone who has offered support and made it possible to stay and be able to get Breezy checked out from a vet and have time to recover before I bring her home."
Thompson told KUSA that Breezy was awarded in 14 of the 17 finals in the latest competition in Denver and is ranked by the International Cat Association.