Montrealer reunited with cat after 16 days lost at Toronto airport

Abir Batikhi arrived at Toronto Pearson on a flight from Jordan with four cats in carriers. When the plane landed, Caramel's carrier was empty. How the seven-year-old female cat escaped remains unclear, but she spent more than two weeks on the airport grounds before being captured in a humane trap on September 2.

Toronto Pearson staff transported Caramel to Montreal on September 4, where Batikhi was finally reunited with her. "She is a survivor! I really thank God and I think it's a miracle to find a small cat in this big airport," Batikhi said. "But the airport employees did a great job."

The reunion was emotional. Batikhi described seeing Caramel's condition: "Honestly, it was very, very painful because she looked like she was in pain. She lost weight and she's scared. I can see from her hands like she's nervous. But once she saw me, she started talking to me. She did not stop talking to me in the car all the way."

By the day after reunion, Caramel had resumed eating normally with her other cats. Falcon Environmental played a central role in the search and capture effort, and Toronto Pearson officials credited multiple airport employees and partners who "remained vigilant, posted flyers, shared information, and kept watch for Caramel throughout the search."