‘Cat-astrophic mistake!’ Traveler sends pet through TSA checkpoint X-ray machine

An airline traveler in Norfolk, Virginia, apparently thought it was a good idea to send their pet cat through the checkpoint X-ray machine while clearing a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security screening.

While some may wonder why a TSA agent would allow that — there’s no shortage of federal agents at American airports — TSA Public Affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein saw the humor in the situation, taking to Twitter to share the X-ray image and call the screening a “cat-astrophic mistake!”

“Just when you thought it was safe to bring your pet cat on a trip…, she tweeted. “A traveler left their pet cat in its travel carrying case at a @TSA checkpoint this morning at @NorfolkAirport. Attention pet owners: Please do not send your pet through the X-ray unit. Cat-astrophic mistake!”

For the record, Farbstein reassured social media users that the cat was okay, explaining that the cat was removed from the travel bag and then went through the “proper” screening.

While some on social media took issue with the lighthearted attitude of the TSA spokesperson, others couldn’t resist adding to the hilarity of it all.

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Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:

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Tom Tillison

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