Finding Jack: Frantic search after airline loses passenger's cat

Jack the cat. Photo: Facebook

American Airlines has come under fire for losing a cat that was checked in by a passenger at JFK Airport in New York.

Karen Pascoe checked Jack the cat in as cargo, along with his brother Barry, because they were too big for a below-seat carrier.

But he went missing before the flight, from New York to California, took off.

Pascoe searched the huge baggage area for an hour without any luck, and now the airline has launched a desperate hunt for the missing moggy.

Karen eventually had to give up the search, and get on her flight, with assurances the airline would keep looking.

She told 1010 WINS: 'My cat's lost, I'm in shock, it's a total nightmare and they don't call me for a couple of days.'

According to news.com.au, a Facebook page set up to hunt down the cat now has over 5000 followers, and American Airlines issued an update on its Facebook page of the hunt's progress and what the lengths they were going to find him.

As well as flying Karen back to New York to assist with the search, they are patrolling airfields for him, getting recommendations from a New York Wildlife Management representative on how best to find him, contacting animal tracking services, handing out fliers to all other qneworld alliance airlines, and carrying out a thorough investigation on how he was lost in the first place.