A woman travelling from Dubai to Sri Lanka is waiting for news of her missing cat after the cat went missing at Dubai International Airport on October 11, leaving her anxious to learn whether he will be found and reunited with her.
Avishka Kaumadi was scheduled to fly to Sri Lanka at 11pm that day and had arrived at Dubai International Airport to transport her cat as air cargo.
According to Kaumadi, as she tells us, he completed the required documentation and payment process before her cat was inspected. The animal was then returned to his carrier after his details were checked against the accompanying documents, she said.
The process took place between approximately 8.30pm and 9.25pm, she said.
After passing through immigration and entering the duty-free area, Kaumadi received a call from the airlines staff member informing her that her cat had escaped from his carrier.
Kaumadi said she asked to return to the area to help search for her pet but was told that permission was needed. When asked if she was willing to travel to Sri Lanka without her cat, Kaumadi said her answer was clear: “I clearly told him that I would not board the flight without my cat.”
At around midnight, she was accompanied to the cargo area to look for the cat. The search continued for more than an hour, with Kaumadi and the staff member calling out to him and trying to attract his attention.
However, the darkness and limited lighting in the area made it difficult to spot the animal, she said. The search did not locate her cat, and Kaumadi was subsequently taken back to the boarding area, where a room was arranged for her.
She said she remained at the airport for approximately 28 hours, waiting for information about her missing pet.
Owner returns to seek help
On October 12, Kaumadi returned to Dubai International Airport to follow up on the search for her cat. During the day, she was shown another white cat to check if it was hers, but confirmed that it was not her pet.
She said she was advised to return to Sri Lanka while efforts to locate her cat continued, and that her contact details were recorded so she could receive updates.
That evening, Kaumadi met with a representative of the Dubai Airport Management Team to discuss the situation and the arrangements for her cat if he was found.
During the meeting, Kaumadi said the representative explained that arrangements could be made to transport her cat to Sri Lanka if he was found, even if it took several weeks.
Five days without news
Five days after her cat went missing at Dubai International Airport on October 11, Kaumadi is still awaiting news of his whereabouts. She hopes to receive an update on the search and learn when she might be reunited with her pet.
The contact details are available on UAEanimalcommunity, an Instagram account dedicated to helping animals in the UAE