Carrier Says Losing Pet Is Rare; Is Determined To Find The Missing Pet

The next time you're flight is delayed at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, occupy your time by keeping a sharp eye out for a feline on the lam.

In an apparent acting-out of the movie "Terminal", a 16-pound cat that escaped from its cage before it could be loaded on a plane, has kept Delta Air Lines and ATL employees on the hunt -- since May.

Six year-old Tiger bolted after his cage fell from a loading platform and promptly disappeared into the 4,700-acre terminal. Tiger's owner, Ezra Malek, was taking the cat to Israel with him, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"I was sitting on the plane, and I was called on the PA system to the door," he said. He was met by two ground crew workers who told him what had happened.

"They kept looking around [near the plane] for another 15 minutes and then asked me to make a decision - either get off the plane or continue to Israel," he said. He ultimately decided to continue on to Israel when carrier reps said they would continue the search.

Malek was assured again after he arrived in Israel when carrier reps on that end met him after his flight.

"Tiger was moving with me to Israel because he was really my cat -- had you asked him, I belonged to him. My kids are all in college and can't have pets," he said. "And my ex, well, she associated Tiger with me, so he had to go."

Delta and ATL workers said they are committed to finding the errant kitty.

"We will continue to make our employees aware that this cat is out there," Delta spokesman Anthony Black told the newspaper. "Our goal is still to return the animal to the customer."

That goal could be more than a little difficult to meet.

"There are a lot of places for a cat to hide out here," said airport spokesman Herschel Grangent.

Malek said he continues the search as well - just from 6,500 miles away. He keeps in contact with airline officials and regularly checks Atlanta animal shelters.

Black said an airline losing a pet is a rare occurrence. Statistics from the Department of Transportation back that statement, according to the Journal-Constitution.

"He slept with us, ate with us, played with us," Malek said. "He was part of the family."

FMI: www.delta.com, www.atlanta-airport.com