A cat disappeared after taking a long flight from Germany to Boston.
A Massachusetts family is seeking answers from an airline that lost track of their beloved black cat after moving back to the U.S. from Germany, where they lived for 15 years.
The 4-year-old cat named Rowdy has been missing since Friday.
German airliner Lufthansa told Rowdy's human parents that the cat simply got out from her cage when unloading cargo, and it hasn't been able to track her since.
"I went to the cargo area and they said 'Oh, do you have a black cat?' [I said] 'Yeah,' and they said 'Well, we don't know where she is right now,'" recounted Patty Sahli.
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Sahli has been worried and frustrated ever since she went to Boston's Logan International Airport last Friday to pick up her husband and her beloved cat. The two were flying from Frankfurt, Germany. Rowdy was in a hard travel carrier riding in cargo.
"When they were moving her out of the cargo area, she got out of the cage and was chasing a bird and three of their workers went looking for her, chasing her, but they didn't get her," Sahli said.
That was what the Lufthansa told Sahli in an email Sunday. They also said customs agents sent a K9 unit to search for Rowdy, while Massport's animal control set traps, but to no avail.
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"She's got bright green eyes; the softest coat ever; she's a very vocal, loud cat. She goes and gets into things," said Sahli. "We joke that she inspects every box and every bag, and she would be great at airport security."
What was meant to be a joyful family reunion has become days of constant anguish, not knowing what's happened to Rowdy.
"I think it's too long and I'm worried about her," said Sahli.
NBC10 Boston reached out to Lufthansa to find out what else is being done to help find Rowdy. The company has not returned a request for comment, however they told Sahli their customer feedback department in New York would now be handling the case.
