Woman Packs Suitcase in the Dark, Then Makes Horror Realization at Airport

A video of a mortified airport passenger has gone viral on TikTok after she realised her cat had slept on her suitcase overnight.
The cringeworthy moment was captured in a video shared by Tallie Thompson (@teebirddie) and has garnered 1.1 million views since it was posted on August 13.
A note overlaid on the video says: “You pack in the dark for an early morning flight only to find out AT THE AIRPORT that your cat has been using your suitcase as a bed.”
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Thompson told Newsweek that sleeping on her case “is a new thing” her cat had started doing, noting that she “didn’t notice until I got to the airport.”
The footage, captured at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, shows a black suitcase covered in white cat fur.
A caption shared with the TikTok post simply reads: “Not my finest hour.”
While it’s unknown why the feline slept on the suitcase, it wouldn’t be surprising if it was the cat’s way of expressing sadness over Thompson going away on a trip and leaving them behind.
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Despite many cats presenting as aloof, especially compared to dogs, a study published in September 2019 in Current Biology found evidence that, “cats display distinct attachment styles toward human caregivers.”
The study noted: “Research suggests we may be underestimating cats’ socio-cognitive abilities.
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“Cats, like dogs, can be found living in social groups or solitarily, depending on early developmental factors, resource distribution, and lifetime experiences such as human interaction,” the study explained.
TikTok users could relate to the scenario in the viral clip and were sympathetic towards Thompson.
User @alanadelrey999 said: “Girl, this has happened to me and I felt SO embarrassed.”
Judy Moody wrote: “As a cat owner I know the pain. Stopped wearing black pants because of this issue.”
“They made me stand in front of TSA [security] and use a lint roller on mine,” added a user called H.
Some commenters said the owner was lucky and shared actions their cat had taken when they went away which were much worse than sleeping on the case.
Emma B_94 said: “I’d rather this. I left mine open before my holiday and my cat peed in my suitcase” and Ofrielor had a similar experience, saying “GIRL MY CAT PEED ON MY LUGGAGE. Only knew when I unpacked in Bali.”
Abbey Mae tried to see the positive side and commented: “Okay, but this might make it easier for you to identify your bag when it comes onto the luggage belt.”
And a social media user called Aud added: “Now you have a little piece of him wherever you’re going.”
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