Cat missing at Dubai airport reunited with owner in Sri Lanka after 10-day search

Avishka Kaumadi, overjoyed and relieved, shared a video of her ginger cat, Chuuti, sitting on her lap as they headed to a veterinary check-up. “When I went up to him and spoke to him, he answered me in his own voice,” she told Gulf News shortly after the reunion.

A Tense Search at Dubai Airport

Chuuti went missing on 11 October at Dubai International Airport. Kaumadi had been scheduled to fly to Sri Lanka at 11:00 pm that day, with the cat travelling as air cargo. She completed all documentation, payments and inspection procedures, and Chuuti was placed in his carrier. However, after she passed through immigration, she received a call informing her that Chuuti had escaped from the carrier.

Kaumadi immediately asked for permission to return and help search. “I clearly told him that I would not board the flight without my cat,” she recalled. She spent more than an hour searching the cargo area with a staff member, calling out to Chuuti in hope of a response. The search failed, and she remained at the airport for about 28 hours waiting for news. She later returned to follow up before eventually travelling to Sri Lanka, where she continued to wait for updates. Airport staff kept an eye out, placing food around the baggage area of Terminal 1 in the hope of finding the cat.

Reunion and Relief in Sri Lanka

Ten days after the disappearance, Kaumadi received news that Chuuti had been found and was safe. The exact location and circumstances of his discovery are not yet available. He was then transported to Sri Lanka, where the reunion took place. Kaumadi described how Chuuti recognised her immediately. “He is doing very well and seems very happy. He recognised me,” she said, barely able to contain her joy. But the ordeal had taken a toll: “Poor thing, he has lost weight, because he hasn’t been eating. We are on our way now to take him to the doctor for a check-up. He got very dirty, down in the baggage area, Terminal 1. He is very happy now.”

Kaumadi struggled to put into words what it meant to have Chuuti back. She expressed gratitude to the officers who helped her and to the many rescue communities that kept watch. For days, UAE animal rescue platforms, including @UAEanimalrescue, had shared posts about Chuuti and appealed for any information on his whereabouts. As she later wrote on Facebook, “You had the entire Dubai looking out for you.”

Gratitude and Support

Kaumadi thanked SriLankan Airlines, dnata and Dubai International Airport for their efforts in finding Chuuti. “Today, I am grateful that my beloved Chuuti has been found. Words cannot fully express the emotions I feel,” she wrote while awaiting his return to Sri Lanka. She also thanked everyone who shared her appeals, offered encouragement and supported her during the search. “Every prayer, every message, every phone call, and every word of kindness gave me strength when I felt like I had none left,” she wrote.

Earlier, on social media, Kaumadi had described Chuuti not as a pet but as “my beloved child, my family, and a piece of my heart. The days without him have been among the most painful of my life.” Now, with Chuuti safe in her lap, she said, “You want to see?” and turned on a video showing the fluffy cat gazing out of the car window, then curling up for cuddles.