Cat Accidentally Left on Plane Flies Between New Zealand and Australia 3 Times in 24 Hours

Mittens the cat has clocked up lots of extra air miles after mistakenly flying between New Zealand and Australia three times in 24 hours.

According to the Associated Press, Mittens was traveling with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand to their new permanent location in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 13, when staff forgot to remove her from the aircraft on arrival.

Owner Margo Neas began to sense a problem after waiting for her cat to be unloaded from the cargo deck for three hours, per the AP.

The woman, who was also traveling with her son per The New Zealand Herald, was then told by staff that the Air New Zealand plane was on its 7.5-hour return trip back to New Zealand with Mittens still inside.

“I said, ‘How can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God,’ ” she told the outlet.

She was told that Mittens’ cage had been covered by a wheelchair, meaning the baggage handlers had missed the feline, a Maine coon.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Upon Mittens’ return to New Zealand, the pet moving company her owner had used to book her initial travel assisted her, and she was put on a flight back to Melbourne.

“She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time,” Neas told the AP of the cat’s return.

“It was just such a relief,” she added, noting that the pet had lost weight.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

The New Zealand Herald reports that while Neas didn’t pay costs for the return trip, she had originally paid Christchurch-based company Move My Pet ​​$1106 ($1948 NZD) to have Mittens fly with her.

PEOPLE has contacted Air New Zealand and Move My Pet for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Air New Zealand reimbursed Neas for all of Mittens’ travel expenses and apologized to her.

“He acknowledged my concerns and mentioned that if it were his family pet, he’d feel the same way,” Neas told The New Zealand Herald. “While they hire third parties to manage freight removal, ultimately, Air NZ is responsible and must give the same care and priority to all passengers — whether human or furry.”