The Cat Distribution System works in meowsterious ways, and for one traveler, all it took was a smoke break at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and a missed connecting flight to turn his unexpected delay into an even more unexpected adoption.
Depending on where you're going to (or where you're coming from), traveling with pets can be an enormous hassle. You need an airline-approved pet carrier, usually some sort of documentation and medical history for the animal, and a lot of patience. If the animal is small enough to come with you in the cabin, that's the best option, but if not, they have to fly underneath the plane in the cargo section, which comes with its own potential problems. This process can take anywhere from weeks to months. Now, imagine having to do it all in a few hours before your flight!
After missing his connecting flight at Chicago's O'Hare airport, Virgil Wiebe went outside for a smoke break. He found a small garden and started contemplating what to do with his remaining time before his next flight, when all of a sudden, he heard some tiny, distressed meows coming from somewhere around him. Then, out popped a tiny, 3-week-old orange kitten, all alone. Virgil searched for a mama cat, but alas, the poor kitty was flying solo (pun intended).
Well, what would any rational purrson do when finding an abandoned kitten with only a few hours until their next flight? Obviously, he couldn't just leave the kitten there, so he Door Dashed an airline pet carrier and kitten formula, got everything settled with United Airlines and booked one more ticket for his tiny, fluffy passenger, who he named Macanudo O'Hare, or Harry, for short. His layover/kitten rescue mission was now complete.
Travelers, if you thought that the Cat Distribution System couldn't reach you at the airport, think again! The CDS is all-knowing, all-powerful, and even if you're about to board your plane, you might just be expected to take a seriously smol (and seriously cute) rescue cat with you.