Cat Siblings Enjoying Flight With Owner Melts Hearts

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Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Life & Trends reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on everyday life topics and trending stories. She has covered Pet Care and Wildlife stories extensively. Maria joined Newsweek in 2022 from Contentive and had previously worked at CityWire Wealth Manager. She is a graduate of Kingston University and London Metropolitan University. You can get in touch with Maria by emailing m.volpe@newsweek.com. Languages: English and Italian.

Life and Trends Reporter

A cat owner from Chicago took his two British short-haired cats on a flight with him, and their behavior on the plane has gone viral on social media.

In a post shared on TikTok in December, under the username @louieandtodd, the two cats can be seen resting inside their carrier next to their owner, sticking their heads out to investigate the cabin as the other passengers take their seats.

"What would you do if you got stuck next to these furry plushies on your flight?" reads layover text on the clip.

"Louie loves to get facial massages during the flight. Never a peep. He was concerned for the crying baby. Todd sleeps through every flight and wakes up for treats when we land. Wishing you all safe travels."

The caption says: "The best behaved travel companions. *For full disclosure we only let them outside their carriers after making sure no one near us is allergic to cats."

If you're planning on traveling with your cat, you might wonder whether they can get airplane ears during the flight like us. According to Dr. Jess Kirk's article for Vets Explains Pets, the answer is yes.

Kirk says that when a cat experiences changes in air pressure, which can also happen while riding in a car, their ears may move or twitch in response. This is a natural reaction, and it typically does not cause harm to the cat.

Cats with flat faces, like those in the video, are more prone to experiencing this phenomenon than others because the shape of their head makes it harder for them to equalize the pressure in their ears.

Before flying with your pet, you should have them examined by your vet to ensure they are healthy and fit for travel. Most airlines will require a health certificate and vaccination proof, according to a Hepper article medically reviewed by Dr. Paola Cuevas.

The video quickly went viral on social media and has received over 696,600 views and 86,400 likes on the platform.

Stock image of a cat on a plane, looking out the window. getty images

One user, Lynne Marie Gullion, commented: "That would be a dream flight."

TikToker Catchfire said, "I would spend the flight earning their trust in the hopes I get rewarded with a lap cuddle!!!"

Theroujay commented, "I would exchange my first class seat for economy any day if it meant sitting next to these two."

Newsweek reached out to @louieandtodd for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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