Did Someone Order A Lap Warmer?

In order to fly with a cat as a carry-on, you have to use a soft-sided carrier and place them on the floor in front of you during takeoff, or at least that’s how it worked on the flight I took from Florida to Kansas in 2006.

My cat, Min Min, was in his carrier as we took off. But the pilot got on the intercom shortly after the seatbelt lights turned off to make an announcement.

Pilot: “A little tabby cat has made its way up into the cockpit area. Can its owner please press their call button?”

Apparently, the flight attendant had opened the door to talk to the pilot and co-pilot, and my little tabby cat had jumped into the co-pilot’s lap. Sure enough, the little rascal had opened the zippers on his carrier and escaped.

A lovely elderly woman gave me a safety pin from her sewing box, and that kept it closed for the rest of that flight, the layover, and the connecting flight.