Cat flown, arrives to new owner frozen

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - A Cranston breeder flies his pregnant cat to Oregon, but he says it arrived frozen solid. The airline claims the cat died of natural causes, but the breeder says no way.

Two families are now heartbroken over the dead cat. They blame the airline for not taking the proper steps for a safe delivery. The airline says it's not their fault.

Mans' best friend may usually be a dog, but John Froais will dispute that anyday.John says he's been breeding this rare cat called a Minskin for years and has sold the cats worldwide.

"I have shipped animials to 3 different continents and too numerous to mention over the years," says Froais.

Just recently he sold his pregnant cat to a breeder in Oregon for $2500. Before John could fly the cat the airline required he have a health certificate issued by a veterinarian dated within 10 days of travel just to make sure he was shipping a healthy cat.

The cat was healthy on exam, so John handed the cat over to airline employees. He thought everything was fine until he received a frantic call from the breeder in Oregon.

"The cat was frozen and dead on arrival. The baggage people then took the cat out of the crate her travel crate, and started to hold her in front of space heaters to thaw her," says Froais.

The airline tells us they didn't have any knowledge of that but did send the cat onto a veterinary clinic in Houston for a necropsy, an autopsy for animals. According to that vet-the cat died of uterine toxicity from multiple dead kittens.

"Even if she did die of natural causes, let's say, a heart attack, why did she arrive frozen?" says Froais.

The airline offered to send the body to John so he could get his own necropsy, but John says, unfortunately that would be impossible.

"I've learned any evidence I could have gotten to prove death of hypothermia is out the window. They froze it, refroze it, froze it and refroze it," says Froais.

The airline is standing by their vet's diagnosis but agreed to refund John for the flight.

John says "It's not about the money, it's just accountability."

Before flying your pet see how the airlines rate in terms of safe delivery. Click here to see the airline safe delivery ratings.