Feline located in cargo building after being missing for days at Winnipeg airport

CTV Winnipeg: The kitty came back A feline that vanished in transit at Winnipeg’s airport has been located, days after going missing.

As the song goes, the cat came back, although not the next day.

A feline that escaped his carrier on his way to board an Air Canada flight Saturday has been found.

Owner Pat Torlen got a call from cargo employees at 3 a.m. Thursday morning saying that her cat, Lightning, was spotted in the cargo building. He was retrieved at 8 a.m. from under a tank where he was hiding.

Lightning was taken to the vet for a checkup and a bath. The vet said he’s lost some weight, but is in good health.

Lightning was supposed to fly cargo, along with sister Cricket, to Vancouver on Sept. 21. Torlen and the rest of the family would follow a week later.

When Torlen dropped them off at the airport, she secured the sides of the cat carriers with straps and ensured the doors were firmly shut.

Just before the flight, Air Canada called Torlen to tell her Lightning escaped.

“They told me the last time they had seen Lightning was when he was in his carrier on the baggage cart.”

Air Canada cargo staff said they think the carrier case door bumped open on the way to the plane. They searched for the missing cat with no luck. Torlen was even invited into the restricted area to look for the escapee. Within hours, complete strangers were volunteering their time to help find the feline.

Torlen said she would not go to Vancouver until Lightning was found.

“I'll say here as long as I can and stay with family and friends and continue the search,” she said.

Now with Lightning safe and sound, Torlen can fly out with her family this weekend as planned.

With a report from Alesia Fieldberg