The cat makes three flights in 24 hours after leaving the plane

A cat has made three flights between New Zealand and Australia in less than 24 hours after being forgotten on a plane.

Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon, was booked to travel from Christchurch to Melbourne on January 12, but her cage was left in the hold of the Air New Zealand plane.

After three hours of waiting for Mittens at Melbourne Airport, owner Margo Neas was told by ground staff that the plane had already returned to New Zealand with her pet.

The heater was turned on during that flight to keep the cat comfortable, Ms Neas said. The pet – who had lost weight but was otherwise unharmed – was later flown back to Melbourne to be reunited with his owner.

Speaking to NBC on Wednesday, Ms Neas said she and her son were told of the mishap by ground staff at Melbourne Airport.

“They said, ‘Look, we’ve found your cat, but it’s actually on the flight back to Christchurch…’

“And I said, ‘When did you find out the cat wasn’t taken off the plane?’ And they said: ‘We just found out.’ And I said: ‘How can this happen?'”

Ms Neas said she told him she had already warned the pilot to turn on the heating in the cargo hold, where the temperature could be as low as 7C.

The incident is still under investigation, but reports suggest a stored wheelchair may have obscured the baggage handler’s view of Mittens’ cage.

Air New Zealand has apologized for the inconvenience caused, promising to refund all travel expenses.

The company does not accept direct pet bookings from the public for international flights, so passengers must book through approved pet carrier companies.

Ms Neas said she was relieved to finally be reunited with Mitten.

“He basically walked into my arms and came in here and gave the biggest hug of all time,” the AP news agency said Wednesday. “It was such a relief.”

Ms Neas, who had previously decided to relocate to Australia, added: “It wasn’t a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn’t have a family, we weren’t complete.”

A one-way flight between Christchurch and Melbourne usually takes less than four hours.