Acouple of cats called Spongecake and Donut have melted hearts on social media after a video of their behavior aboard a 6-hour flight went viral on social media.
In the post, shared to TikTok earlier in August under the username @spongecake_cats, the two fluffy felines can be seen squeezing together into a large pet carrier bag, snuggling with each other and acting like they’ve always known how to fly on an airplane.
The hilarious clip comes with a caption that says: “My cats on a 6-hour flight from NYC to LA. Leave us questions in the comments, and we will try to get back to all of you.”
For the first three hours into the flight, the felines can be seen relaxing in their carrier, exchanging slow blinks with their owner before getting a small snack soon after. The next hour was grooming time for the pets, and after that, they fell asleep until landing.
The cats’ owner, Olivia, told Newsweek: “As for my cats in the video, Sponge Cake (the orange one) and Donut (the white one) have been traveling together for almost two years.
“They’ve been to many European cities including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan and Venice. They actually have their own separate backpack, but Sponge Cake often wants to visit Donut in his backpack for cuddles.
“They are always calm and well-behaved when they’re on the airplane. They got trained by positive reinforcement (treats, pets) and consistent practice to go on adventures before they started traveling by airplane.
“The video was taken during their 6-hour flight from New York City to LA to attend CatCon in Pasadena last month.”
Many TikTok users asked the poster how they managed to keep their cats so calm during the flight, with the owner responding that the secret is to “take short flights first, and then longer flights” to train them.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, even though some pets don’t have a problem with traveling, some do, so before embarking on a trip with your furry friend, you should consider whether it’s worth it. If you think you’re not going to be spending much time with your pet on your vacation, it suggests leaving them with a caretaker.
Moreover, if you’re leaving your pets behind, it’s better to try and arrange care at home rather than boarding, especially if they’re cats. If you decide to bring your pets along with you, you should consult your veterinarian first, to make sure your pets are fit for travel and find some ways of making the trip easier for both, the humane society adds.
“We recommend that you weigh all the risks when deciding whether to transport your pet by airplane. Air travel can be particularly dangerous for animals with “pushed in” faces (the medical term is “brachycephalic”), such as bulldogs, pugs, and Persian cats. Their short nasal passages leave them especially vulnerable to oxygen deprivation and heat stroke,” the nonprofit organization’s website says.
The video quickly went viral on TikTok, and so far has received over 3.2 million views and 293,300 likes.
One user, SwtKittN, commented: “I would legit squeal with happiness if I got seated next to cats on a plane.” And Leeshx wrote: “If I could take my cats on the plane my flight anxiety would disappear.”
Jaydanicole asked: “Which airline? I’m flying my cat LA-NYC next month and I’m super anxious about choosing the right airline.”
Source: MARIA AZZURRA VOLPE / newsweek
