He Missed His Flight at O’Hare and Left With an Orange Kitten Named After a Cigar

A missed connection at O’Hare turned into a far stranger assignment than rebooking a flight. By the time Virgil Wiebe got home to St. Paul, he was traveling with a tiny orange kitten that had found him outside the terminal.

Wiebe, a law professor from St. Paul, Minnesota, had already had a rough travel day in September. After missing a connection at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, he had to spend the night there. The next day, while waiting for his rescheduled flight, he took his coffee and a cigar to a small green space outside Terminal 1.

That is where the kitten appeared. Wiebe said the orange cat, which he estimated was about 3 weeks old, came straight toward him and climbed onto his foot. The encounter was sudden enough that he later put the dilemma in simple terms: what are you supposed to do when a kitten kind of attacks you? In the clip below, Wiebe recounts that moment outside the terminal.

An airport problem nobody had planned for

Before doing anything else, Wiebe looked around the nearby bushes for the kitten’s mother or any siblings. He did not find them. He snapped a few photos and sent them to his family back home, who wanted him to bring the little cat with him.

So he picked up the kitten and headed back inside, bringing it to the ticketing counter. What happened next was less a standard airport procedure than a group of people trying to solve a problem none of them expected to have. Wiebe said a TSA agent told him they had never seen a stray at the airport. The advice they could offer was practical: if the kitten was going to fly, he would need a kennel.

That created a new problem. United Airlines had already given away its loaner kennel, and Wiebe’s flight home was about to board. Airport staff also checked whether anyone had reported a missing pet. Nobody had. With the clock ticking, Wiebe called in help from home.

From O’Hare surprise to family cat

That help came from his daughter in St. Paul. She found a nearby Petco and arranged for a carrier and kitten formula to be delivered to the airport through DoorDash. Once the supplies arrived, the trip that had started with a missed connection became a two-passenger journey.

United added the kitten to Wiebe’s reservation for a $150 pet fee, and the pair boarded a flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul together.

Wiebe gave the kitten a full name that tied the whole episode to the place it happened: Macanudo O’Hare, a nod to the cigar he was smoking and the airport where they met. At home, though, the family uses a simpler name. They call him Harry.

Harry has since been seen by a vet and has made friends with the household’s two other cats. Wiebe has said the kitten has an especially strong purr and described him as a joyful little thing. What nobody can explain is how a cat so young ended up loose outside one of the busiest airports in the world. Wiebe does seem certain about the ending, though. However Harry arrived there, he belongs with them now.

What to do if you find a kitten

A lone kitten is not always abandoned. Very young kittens are often left while a mother cat searches for food, so the first step is to pause, watch from a safe distance and look for signs that an adult cat is returning. If the kitten is cold, injured, in immediate danger or crying continuously, bring it to a warm, quiet place and contact a local shelter, rescue group or veterinary clinic for guidance.

Handle kittens gently and keep them away from resident pets until a veterinarian has checked them. Offer fresh water. For food, kitten formula is safer than cow's milk, which can upset their stomach. If the kitten is old enough to eat solids, wet kitten food is usually easiest. A cardboard box with a towel can work briefly, but a secure carrier is better.

How rescue and adoption usually work

Rescues and shelters generally try to match a found kitten with the right outcome: reunion with an owner, placement in foster care or adoption. A basic check often includes scanning for a microchip, looking for parasites, estimating age and discussing vaccines, spay or neuter timing and follow up care. Young kittens may need foster care before they are ready for a permanent home.

If you are thinking about keeping a found kitten, ask practical questions first. Can you afford routine vet care and emergency care. Do you have time for feeding, litter training and play. Is your home set up for safe confinement during the first days. Kittens do best with a predictable routine, easy access to a litter box and gradual introductions to people and other pets.

Traveling or heading home with a new cat

If a kitten comes into your life unexpectedly while you are away from home, slow down and make a plan. Most cats travel best in a sturdy carrier lined with an absorbent towel. Keep the carrier closed, even for calm cats, because fear can make them bolt. Bring water, a small litter tray for longer trips and a simple record of any veterinary visit.

Travel rules vary by airline, destination and type of trip. Before you leave, check carrier size rules, pet fees and any health paperwork that may be required. Once home, give the kitten one quiet room at first. Set up food, water, hiding spots, a litter box and scratching surface, then let curiosity do the rest.