Cat Found after Weeks on a United Jet

After three weeks of traveling around the world in the cargo hold of a United Airlines plane, Pumpkin the cat will soon be reunited with her owner in Washington state.

Pumpkin disappeared from her crate in the baggage compartment on a flight from England to Germany on Dec. 28. She was found Wednesday by United cargo workers at Denver International Airport and taken to Alameda East Veterinary Clinic, where she is recovering from dehydration.

"When she came in, she was dirty and light as a feather," veterinarian David Gall said. "She has gained about half a pound since we've been feeding her."

Pumpkin likely had been on board the plane since she disappeared, Gall said.

"As far as we know, she traveled from London to Munich, then to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles," Gall said while petting Pumpkin. "Who knows where else she went."

Pumpkin is known as a "globetrotter" to the staff at the clinic. A drawing of a tiny plane going around the world is taped to the wall of her cage at the clinic, a testament to her odyssey.

How Pumpkin survived for three weeks without food and water is up for debate. What is certain is that being healthy contributed to her survival, Gall said.

The same spirit that kept her alive for three weeks is helping her recuperate.

"What impresses us all is how resilient she is," Gall said.

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