A cat owner was put through quite a scary ordeal after a Lyft driver took off with his cat still in the vehicle — but now, the story has a happy ending.
Palash Pandey wrote that while he was taking his pet cat Tux to the vet last week, their Lyft driver took off with the cat still in a carrier in the back seat.
“Before I could open the door, the driver started driving,” Palash wrote on Twitter. “I banged on the back and passenger windows and screamed running behind him but he drove off.”
Palash called and texted the driver, who replied two hours later and said that he didn’t have the cat. The driver later claimed that he was allergic to cats and “would have canceled the ride if he knew I had a cat in the carrier,” and drove off because he “got startled.”
Palash contacted 911 and Lyft but said he didn’t receive any help. A Lyft spokesperson said they reached out to Palash “within minutes.” “We are aware of the situation and we’re currently in touch with the rider and driver,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement to KXAN.
Palash shared flyers with photos of Tux and the carrier she was in. He also asked Lyft’s help in retracing the driver’s steps — the driver said he had multiple passengers after Palash and they might have taken the cat.
After days of worrying about Tux’s whereabouts, Palash shared an inspiring update: Tux was found!
According to his tweets, Tux was found at a real estate office, and investigators were able to catch the cat. The carrier was not found, and it’s not clear how she ended up there.
“She looks very tired, is covered in fleas and dehydrated,” Palash wrote. “She started eating wet food again which is a good sign but I’ll monitor her and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit. I would update again once I hear from the vet.”
However, he said that after a vet visit Tux was given a “clean bill of health.” He thanked everyone who helped: “You guys have restored my faith in the community.”
In addition, Lyft wrote that they would be covering Tux’s vet bills and providing “additional support.” “We must do better in how we support our community. And we will.”
What a nightmare situation for any cat owner, but we’re so glad Tux has finally been found safe and sound!
Please share this great news! ❤️😸
