A video of a cat that was abandoned by its owner at an airport has gone viral on TikTok as it had an amazing twist of fate.
The cat was reportedly abandoned by its owner at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon on January 17, after the owner didn’t have the right paperwork with them to bring their pet on the flight. Instead of staying behind with the cat, the owner decided to abandon the pet in the airport and get on the plane by themselves.
An airport worker who had witnessed the incident quickly contacted her friend Rana Hamieh, a 30-year-old veterinarian and animal rescuer who documents her life rescuing and taking care of cats on her TikTok account.
Rana told Newsweek that she drove to the airport to find the cat who was abandoned at the check-in desk of the ticket counter. The cat, who is a two-year-old domestic short-hair cat, was found “hiding under the escalator railing” at Gate 2 of the airport, after having been ‘kicked around’ by some kids, Hamieh said.
“He was absolutely terrified. Poor baby was very scared due to all the commotion around him,” she said. “I was concerned as I saw a few trauma injuries on his body but thankfully there was no significant internal bleeding.”
“He just wants to be safe,” she wrote on the video, before showing how the cat was laying down with all of the stuff that his owner had left him with.
The video quickly went viral with over 2.9 million views, and viewers were desperate to find out what had happened to the orange cat. Rana was able to share that he got a happy ending, as she revealed he’s been placed at a foster home and is available for adoption.
Rana went on to show photos of the cat having settled in well with his rescuer, as he was sleep cuddled up in their lap and wrapped up in a blanket, getting all the attention and love he deserves.
“He’s now in foster care since I have several critical cases at home. But!! Kitty is healthy & safe. If you’re interested in adopting & you’re in Lebanon, DM me on Instagram,” she shared in the caption of the video.
People were quick to share their thoughts for the poor cats, as many pet owners couldn’t understand how someone could abandn their pets.
“I’d cry if I saw this at an airport. I’d cancel my flight and look after the cat,” one viewer wrote, while another shared: ” How could someone do that to their own pet. I will abandon a million flights before I ever abandon my baby.”
“If my cats don’t board, I don’t board. I will never understand how people can abandon their pets. I would die for mine,” a third user wrote.
