Once lost in Wichita, Ninja the cat arrives home

Ninja, the cat, left on a private jet Sunday morning to be reunited with her family.

A Wichita company, that wishes to remain anonymous, flew the cat to Orlando.

The jet’s pilot, Jeff Greenberg, said he had five cats of his own and would do anything he could for those pets.

Greenberg, along with two of his passengers – professional aviation photographers Dave Higdon and Paul Bowen – are attending the National Business Aircraft Association conference this week in Orlando.

The flight took three hours. She arrived at the Orlando International Airport shortly after 1 p.m. Central time and immediately took to her owner, Brett Farmer.

In early June, Ninja – a 10-year-old cat – and her Florida human family started out in a vehicle on a summer trip cross-country destined for Colorado that included two adults, four children ranging in age from 3 months to 8 years, two dogs, another cat and Ninja.

At the Hotel at Waterwalk in Wichita, the marbled cat with white paws and chest slipped out of her cat carrier.

She was found about a week ago, living with a group of feral cats in the Delano neighborhood.

Ninja might have gone unnoticed and continued to live her life on the lam had it not been for the microchip her owners, Brett and Renee Farmer of Tampa, Fla., had placed on her. It helped the Friends of Felines – the group who rescued Ninja – to track down her family.

On Wednesday afternoon, the cat was given a clean bill of health from Kelly Jones of the Cat Hospital of Wichita to fly. She was also treated with antibiotics for a neck wound and given a round of flea ointment.

“We are so excited about having her home,” said Renee Farmer from Florida. “My husband is on pins and needles. He grew a beard and is worried she won’t recognize him. Of course, she will.

“Someone sent us a picture of the jet she is riding on and we are giggling. We can’t believe she is riding in on this fabulous jet. It is just such a sweet way to get her here. It is a dream come true. We thought we had lost her forever.”

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Once lost in Wichita, Ninja the cat arrives home."