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PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (Reuters) -- A wayward cat forced a U.S. airline to cancel a flight on Thursday by clambering up into the wheel well of an aircraft and refusing to budge even when offered a tasty slice of fresh salmon. <BR> <BR>The gray and white cat named Muffy broke out of her cage in another airline's baggage room and darted down the tarmac and clawed her way up into a Continental Airlines MD-80 jet, forcing 82 passengers off the plane from Providence to Newark, New Jersey. <BR> <BR>After eight hours of trying to coax and tempt the would-be stowaway down, maintenance crews finally had to remove panels on the bottom of the wing, near its seam with the body, to pull Muffy out. She was returned to the other airline and reunited with her family, a Continental official said. <BR> <BR>Ahhh .... a happy ending after all.

elvira

Poor thing probably took one look at the seat pitch and bolted.

Santa Chiara

That was just after it saw what was going to be fobbed off as "dinner."

elvira

Maybe it was after she found out she got the last seat on a flight chartered by "The Really Loud People Who Never Sleep Club"

rand

If they pulled that 'tasty slice of salmon' from an airline meal, it is no wonder the cat would not come down.

Walter

"...and refusing to budge even when offered a tasty slice of fresh salmon". <BR> Duh...Muffy was a RI cat we don't have salmon here! Now if she was offered Clam Cakes, Chowder, Steamers, Quahogs esp little necks, or possibly Hot Weiners (pronouced WE-KNEES, only sold in RI [other sissy states have higher health standards] basically our version of Haggis with a nice bowl of "Coffee Milk" she would have came out). Regards, Walter <BR> <BR> <BR>