After more than a week on the loose, the rogue cat who escaped her owner at JFK International Airport has been rescued.
Pepper the cat was rescued by Port Authority Police with the help of Pepper's owner's friend and many others in the middle of the night over the weekend.
The 4-year-old tabby had bolted from her owner at Terminal 4 on April 20 as they were preparing to board a flight to China. Pepper then ran all over the airport, hiding in places that were not accessible to humans. The owner, who was moving to China for a new job, was devastated to leave Pepper behind.Since her escape, Pepper was spotted several times during the overnight hours.
Finally the owner's friend (who speaks Mandarin Chinese) came and called the cat by her Mandarin name, Dai Meng, which loosely translated means "little dork."
Within 15 minutes, Pepper, apparently recognizing her voice — and her Mandarin name — poked her head out from her hiding place.
A bit of food was enough to lure Pepper all the way back to the cat carrier she escaped from over a week ago.