A cat makes three flights in 24 hours after being left on a plane

A cat made three flights between New Zealand and Australia in just 24 hours after being forgotten on a plane.

Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon dog, was booked to travel from Christchurch to Melbourne on January 12, but her cage was left in the cargo compartment of the Air New Zealand plane.

After waiting three hours for the gloves at Melbourne Airport, owner Margo Neas was told by ground staff that the plane had already returned to New Zealand with her pet.

During that flight, the heating was on to keep the cat comfortable, Ms Neas said. The pet – who was emaciated but otherwise unharmed – was later flown back to Melbourne to be reunited with his owner.

Speaking to NBC on Wednesday, Ms Neas said she and her son had been informed of the accident by ground staff at Melbourne Airport.

“They said, ‘Look, we’ve found your cat, but it’s actually on the return flight to Christchurch…’

“And I said, ‘When did you find out the cat wasn’t taken off the plane?’ And they said, “We just found out.” And I said, “How can this happen?”

Ms Neas said she was told the pilot had already been warned to turn on the heating in the hold, where the temperature could drop to 7C.

The incident is still under investigation, but reports say a retracted wheelchair may have obscured the trunk’s view of the glove box.

Air New Zealand apologized for the disaster and promised to refund all travel expenses.

The company does not accept direct bookings for animals from the public on international flights, so passengers must book through approved pet carriers.

Ms Neas said she was relieved to finally be reunited with Mitten.

“She actually just ran into my arms and just snuggled up here and just gave the biggest hugs ever,” she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press on Wednesday. “It was just such a relief.”

Ms Neas, who had previously decided to move to Australia, added: “It wasn’t a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn’t have the family, we weren’t complete.”

A one-way flight time between Christchurch and Melbourne usually takes less than four hours.