When this owner of five cats packed her suitcase before a long-haul flight, she never expected to return home with a new furry friend.
But after meeting an orange cat in her Airbnb in the Philippines, Denise, who does not want to reveal her last name, felt she had no choice but to take the stray animal home.
Since returning from Southeast Asia, the trained nurse has put together a montage of clips showing her new pet’s journey, which went viral on TikTok, garnering 1.4 million views and over 219,000 likes.
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“It was love at first sight,” said the 30-year-old from Stratford, Connecticut Newsweek.
TikTok/@kyuubighibli
She explained that Soundless had identified herself at the start of her two-week vacation in June, even though she could not meow – hence the new name.
“I immediately bought cat food when my brother told me about her and fed her morning and evening for about five days before we decided to keep her.
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“She wanted to come to the Airbnb on the second day, but we were worried about my nine-month-old niece,” she said, adding, “She was so friendly from the beginning and never scratched or hissed at us.”
Denise was worried about the cat, who was estimated to be about a year old, as she was suffering from constipation and had a lump on her rear end.
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“The vet said it was because she had been eating garbage for a long period of time – that’s why we wanted to take care of her.”
Denise and her family paid $65 for two vet visits and vaccinations before their 45-hour trip, which included flights and layovers.
“We paid $1,476 to a company called FurExpressPH. Their services included processing the documents needed for the cat’s journey, the transport container and travel expenses (from Davao to Manila and then from Manila to New York),” she said. Newsweek.
The clip, dated July 15, shows footage of Soundless in her carrier and being reunited with her new owners. Then, one of the videos flashes to text claiming Emirates SkyCargo “never refilled the cat’s food and water.”
TikTok/@kyuubighibli
Emirates SkyCargo denied these allegations and said: Newsweek: “We transport thousands of animals every year with a service specifically designed to provide pets and animals with the highest level of care and attention. The airline strictly follows the International Air Transport Association’s Live Animal Regulations (IATA LAR), the global standard that ensures the safe and humane transport of animals by air. Emirates SkyCargo has implemented additional policies to ensure that live animals have the highest priority over any other special cargo.
“Emirates SkyCargo provides full transparency before, during and after transport with documentation and a detailed timeline so customers can be confident that the highest level of care has been taken. Emirates SkyCargo’s records show that the cat was well cared for throughout the journey, including scheduled feedings, and was delivered to the recipient at JFK in a healthy condition.”
Denise told Newsweek: “She looked very tired and dehydrated after the flight – we felt so sorry for her.”
The clip ends with footage of Soundless meeting Denise’s other pets, some of whom are unsure about the new arrival.
“She’s doing very well and is very friendly with my other cats,” she said. “At first they weren’t sure, but now they all get along.”
“I think she is happy with us, she has this subtle smile when she sleeps,” said Denise.
So far, the video titled “Welcome to America!,” has almost 4,000 comments.
“A cat will get American citizenship faster than me,” joked one user, while another wrote, “I love that you’ve had a few kittens already and still have enough room and heart for another. I’m glad she’s home safely.”
“That was such a happy ending for this cat! Thank you for having such a beautiful heart! I hope all your cats love each other and are happy!” said a third commenter.
Do you have funny and cute videos or pictures of your pet that you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and he could appear on our Pet of the Week list.
