Passenger kicked off flight over cat-astrophe
A passenger says she was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight after her kitten pooped in its pet carrier.
The woman says she was then stranded in a ‘random city for the next 12 hours’ as the airline wouldn’t let her travel on a connecting flight.
The X post by @barelyalex detailing the ordeal has gone viral with over 20 million views.
A following post explained the seven-month-old kitten, called Oni pooped after becoming alarmed during a rough landing.
Flight crew commented that ‘the plane was not a litter box,’ the post said.
She asked flight attendants for a garbage bag to clean out the carrier. She then dumped it n the trash can in the plane’s bathroom.
“I finished cleaning up and put the rest of the trash in the garbage bag for them to easily get rid of,” the X thread continues.
Unfortunately, the trash was not emptied for the next flight which happened to by Alex’s connecting service.
“I reboard and see the crew has changed but they have had to close that bathroom due to the smell of the trash,” she wrote.
“I go and sit in the back. The new flight attendant approaches me in a hostile manner saying they are agitated because they had to close that bathroom for the flight.”
Due to the smell, the flight crew removed Alex and her kitten from the flight.
Alex was rebooked on a following flight but this was hours later.
She was, however, given a $200 voucher for a future flight.
The airline hasn’t publicly responded to the incident.
Related News Stories: Passenger kicked off flight over cat-astrophe Letter: Helicopters over Jersey City Threaten Washington D.C.-Style ... Catastrophe over New York: The 1960 collision of United Airlines ... News reporter visits family, dodges catastrophe in Japan | News ... NTSB: Pilot landed in Hudson to avoid catastrophe The Unsolved Mysteries of 8 Missing Passenger Flights | HISTORY Asiana Airlines Spared Greater Catastrophe Because of 'Marvelous ... Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 - Wikipedia How I Prevented a Travel Catastrophe: Losing My Wallet ... Independence or Catastrophe? - Rethinking Schools
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season