After more than two weeks, Abir Batikhi can finally breathe a sigh of relief after her missing cat, Caramel, was found and captured at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Batikhi took a flight from Amman to Montreal on Aug. 17 with her four cats. When she went to reunite with them, only three of the four cats were returned to her.
“I arrived in Montreal in the morning. I received four cages, one of them was empty, and Caramel was out of the cage,” Batikhi said, describing the heart-wrenching moment staff at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport informed her of her beloved cat’s disappearance after she arrived from Jordan.
Batikhi says she was told that Caramel had remained in the cargo area of the plane, which had already continued on to its second and final destination, Toronto Pearson International Airport.
After multiple calls to customer service, Batikhi was told Caramel was last seen at Pearson’s Terminal 3, around Gate 29 or 30, which she described as a “no-public, secure area.”
Now, after more than two weeks of searching, Caramel has finally been found.
Image of Caramel in a cage after it was found in Toronto Pearson airport on Sept. 3, 2026. (Courtesy: Abir Albatikhi)
A breakthrough came after a GTA Dnata employee — ground handlers — stopped by the airport’s wildlife office on Wednesday and reported that he had seen Caramel on Aug. 17 — the day she went missing. The cat had been discovered underneath the hood of ground service equipment parked at Vista Cargo while the employee was performing maintenance.
Caramel in her pet carrier before she escaped and became lost at the Toronto Pearson airport. (Credit: Abir Batikhi)
The employee and his coworkers attempted to catch Caramel, but she managed to escape.
Although the employee’s report came more than two weeks after the sighting, airport wildlife staff said it confirmed Caramel’s last known location was in a much safer and more accessible area than the baggage rooms.
Image of Caramel in a cage being fed after it was found in Toronto Pearson airport on Sept. 3, 2026. (Courtesy: Abir Albatikhi)
Staff subsequently conducted a thorough search of the Vista Cargo area and surrounding areas and added traps to the area. Employees working nearby were also alerted and asked to remain on the lookout for Caramel, while the information was shared with Greater Toronto Airports Authority contacts.
After weeks of uncertainty, the search has now come to an end. Caramel has been safely captured and is on her way home to Montreal.
“We are pleased to confirm that Caramel was located last night in a cargo facility at Toronto Pearson after being safely captured in one of the humane live-capture traps deployed by Falcon Environmental,” a spokesperson for the airport told CityNews. “Information provided by an airport worker about the cat’s last known location helped the wildlife team focus search efforts in the area where Caramel was ultimately found.
“We are grateful to everyone involved in the search effort, particularly Falcon Environmental, whose expertise and dedication were central to locating Caramel. We also thank the airport employees and partners who remained vigilant, posted flyers, shared information, and kept watch for Caramel throughout the search.”
Batikhi says she is overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.
“I am so happy and grateful for all the help making sure Caramel comes home,” she said.
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