The Story of the Flying Cat

There once was a very sleepy black and white cat.

Who was impossibly cute.

His mom and dad decided to move all the way across the world to a strange city named "Philly". This bothered the kitty.

Okay, the kitty was bothered by the unnecessary draping of scarves around his being. But had he been a smarter kitty, he would have been worried. He was about to be packed up and shipped off like these boxes!

And this suitcase!

(Which was 11 kilos overweight but somehow was let slide by the nice lady at Continental airlines.) Meanwhile, his parents were a little stressed as to how he would handle the move.

Especially because the meteorologists were calling for snow the day of their flights. The fact that kitty wasn't on the same flight as them gave them serious worry. (But actually kitty was flying AirFrance, where I am sure they serve free champagne, even in the cargo hold.)

While his parent's fret, kitty wisely watched the weather reports.

And cuddled with his mommy for solace.


And come the day of the flight, kitty was TOTALLY ready to get in his carrying crate and leave the country. This is what "ready" looks like:

Yes, as it turned out, flying meant that the kitty would be locked in a 16 x 20 inch box for 9 hours. Or - as it turned out - 16 hours, because even though his parents flight was only delayed by an hour (spent in the plane at the gate), kitty's flight was delayed for five. Which is not the correct math, but just go with it.

Despite the various delays they all flew over the ocean!! -- Where I stopped taking proper photos, and for some reason left all the pictures on my phone camera THERE until my service ran out and I couldn't access them anymore. But there was still a story!! So it went on without photos...

When they got to the airport, everything went relatively smoothly on the human end because humans are relatively efficient. Except when there is inclement weather. This meant that when his mommy and daddy arrived to pick up the cat from the bowels of the airport cargo system in Newark (seriously OFF THE MAP) kitty was not yet there.

And in time spent waiting to receive him, his tired mommy had a nervous breakdown. Poor, unsuspecting cargo service people. Thankfully daddy was there to save the day, pay the unexpected 40 dollars required to release kitty and they went on their way. Two very long hours later, mommy, daddy and kitty were all safe and sound in their new (temporary) home in the country. Just and hour from the streets of Philadelphia (insert song by The Boss HERE.)

While the flying kitty hid under the bed, just out of reach of little kid hands, mommy and daddy had their vacation. First stop: Paris.

Mommy watched from the inside while her man went out and played in the snow. For three hours. What a crazy guy!!

They wandered around the city in subzero temperatures (if we count in Celsius). They did not see Tom Hanks.

And just generally made the best of the last ten days together before daddy left mommy and the kitty to go back to France. This is how much fun they had:

(It really was an awesome vacation.)

And the kitty? He has a brand new tante, and cannot be happier.

(Even if his mommy can't WAIT to move the kitty to a space where his litter box is not in her room. But that is a whole other story...).