A cat completed three flights between New Zealand and Australia in just 24 hours after being left on a plane.

Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon cat, was scheduled to fly from Christchurch to Melbourne on January 12, but her cage was left in the cargo hold of the Air New Zealand plane.

After waiting for Mittens at Melbourne Airport for three hours, plane owner Margo Neas was told by ground staff that the plane had returned to New Zealand with her pet.

Ms Nice said that during that flight the heating was turned on to keep the cat comfortable. The pet lost weight but was not injured and was later flown to Melbourne to be reunited with its owner.

Speaking to NBC News on Wednesday, Ms Nice said she and her son had been informed of the incident by Melbourne Airport ground staff.

“They said: ‘Look, we found your cat – but it was actually on the return flight to Christchurch…’

“I said: ‘When did you find out that the cat wasn’t taken off the plane?’ They said: ‘We just found out now. “I said: ‘How could this happen?'”

Ms Neas said she was told pilots had been told to turn on the heating in the cargo hold, where temperatures could be as low as 7C.

The incident remains under investigation, but reports suggest a stored wheelchair may have blocked the baggage handlers’ view of Mittens’ cage.

Air New Zealand has apologized for the distress caused and promised to reimburse all travel costs.

The company does not accept direct bookings of animals for international flights from the public, so passengers must book through an approved pet carrier.

Ms Nice said she was relieved to finally be reunited with Mitten.

“She basically just ran into my arms and snuggled in here and gave me the biggest hug ever,” she was quoted as saying by The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It was such a relief.”

Ms Nice, who had earlier decided to move to Australia, added: “It was not a good start for our new life in Melbourne because we were not complete without our family.”

One-way flights between Christchurch and Melbourne typically take less than four hours.