Chuuti, a ginger cat missing for 10 days inside Dubai International Airport's baggage area, has finally been reunited with his owner in Sri Lanka.
Here's what to know
Avishka Kaumadi was preparing to board an 11 p.m. flight from Dubai to Sri Lanka when Chuuti went missing at Dubai International Airport, Gulf News reported.
Speaking to the outlet after they were reunited, Kaumadi said, "When I went up to him and spoke to him, he answered me in his own voice." She later added, "He is doing very well and seems very happy. He recognized me."
Chuuti appears to have been trapped in Terminal 1's baggage area during the search. Describing his condition after he was recovered, Kaumadi said, "Poor thing, he has lost weight, because he hasn't been eating. We are on our way now to take him to the doctor for a check-up. He got very dirty, down in the baggage area, Terminal 1. He is very happy now."
On the way to a veterinary check-up in Sri Lanka, she also shared photos from the car showing Chuuti looking out the window before later curling up in her lap.
More background
Before the October 11 flight, Kaumadi said she had finished Chuuti's paperwork and inspection and paid the required fees, after which he was placed back in his carrier.
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The call telling her Chuuti had escaped came after she had cleared immigration. Kaumadi said she immediately refused to continue without him, saying, "I clearly told him that I would not board the flight without my cat," according to Gulf News.
Kaumadi then searched the cargo area with a staff member for more than an hour, calling for Chuuti and listening for a response. After that effort failed, she stayed at the airport for about 28 hours, waiting for news, and later returned to check on the search.
In a Facebook post, Kaumadi wrote, "Chuuti is not just a pet to me. He is my beloved child, my family, and a piece of my heart. The days without him have been among the most painful of my life."
What's being done?
She said officers assisted her, and UAE animal rescue communities spent days spreading the word about Chuuti's disappearance, including posts from @UAEanimalrescue asking people to watch for him.
Even after Kaumadi returned to Sri Lanka, airport staff kept up the search. She said they were "putting food everywhere" and keeping watch for the missing cat in hopes of drawing him out, Gulf News reported.
Once Chuuti was found, Kaumadi publicly thanked SriLankan Airlines, dnata, and Dubai International Airport for helping find him and get him back safely. The exact place where Chuuti was found, and how he was recovered, remained unclear.
Because of Chuuti's weight loss and his condition after 10 days in the baggage area, Kaumadi said they took him straight to the doctor.
In a Facebook message after the reunion, Kaumadi wrote: "Today, I am grateful that my beloved Chuuti has been found. Words cannot fully express the emotions I feel."
Where can I learn more?
Chuuti's reunion is one of several remarkable stories about missing cats making it home against the odds.
• In England, a missing cat was found 15 miles away after five months.
• In England, a missing cat survived on neighbors' kindness for eight years.
• In Florida, a missing cat turned up among 92 animals rescued from hoarding.
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