Published Feb 17, 2026
John Debacker / Facebook.com
A New York City woman refuses to give up looking for her beloved cat, more than a month after the tuxedo escaped during Christmas travel at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The traumatic incident happened on December 20, when Ellen Russell – who lives in Flushing, in the borough of Queens – came to JFK Airport with her cat, Tazzie Lee, for Christmas travel down to her vacation home in Fort Myers, Fla. Ellen had Tazzie Lee in a zipped-up carrier she planned to hold on her lap on the plane.
But then, before passengers boarded, the airline canceled the flight, citing a lack of crew members. Ellen went downstairs in Terminal 4 to retrieve her luggage, and noticed that the zipper on Tazzie Lee’s carrier was a little shaky, so she pulled it to a tight close. But then, when she went outside to the curb where Ellen’s ride waited, Tazzie Lee played with the zipper, opened the carrier, and jumped out. Ellen’s driver grabbed the cat, but fell down with scratches.
Tazzie Lee scurried away, and she hasn’t been seen since. Ellen feels distraught and heartbroken, but she won’t surrender her hope and search efforts.
“She ran down the walkway and I saw her cross the street, and then I didn’t see her anymore,” she says. “I have to keep the faith and believe that I’m going to find her. I have to believe that.”
Ellen spread the word about Tazzie Lee through social media and pleaded with airport officials and local rescuers to help Ellen find her missing cat, and the news media picked up the story. A helpful Port Authority police officer walked through the terminal searching for Tazzie Lee, to no avail. Flyers, showing Tazzie Lee’s photo and Ellen’s contact information, were circulated at the airport.
John Debacker / Facebook.com
A Long Island cat rescuer, John Debacker, set up a camera and food near a JFK runway, along with some of Ellen’s clothes with her scent, in hopes of luring and capturing video evidence of the missing cat. Unfortunately, although other stray cats and an opossum claimed the cat food, there is still no sign of Tazzie Lee, who does not have a microchip.
“I was really impressed how they took everything so seriously,” Ellen says. “JFK Airport has been helpful.”
Many people have contacted Ellen claiming they had seen the tuxedo. Some have sent her pictures of tuxedos and asked: “Is this your cat?” One woman called Ellen and said she had a strong hunch that the cat was still inside the airport and has been living there undetected. That makes sense, given the winter weather.
“I believe that she went back into that terminal somehow,” Ellen says. “If a cat is not used to the outside, she’s going to try to go where it’s warm. … I have an inkling that she is around the baggage area somewhere.
“I know her; she’s scared to death of people and cars,” Ellen adds. “She’s probably hiding somewhere.”
Ellen is offering a $5K reward for the return of her beloved pet, who means the world to her.
“I love this cat like you wouldn’t believe,” Ellen says. “She sleeps with me every night. She climbs under the covers and brushes my hair with her claws. We’re really connected, I’m telling you.”
Ellen Russell / Bring Tazzie Lee Home
Ellen was planning on relocating to Florida, but not yet. “I’m not leaving until I get her!” she resolves.
If you have any tips on Tazzie Lee’s whereabouts, Ellen would be very grateful to hear from you. Follow the new page she has set up on Facebook called “Bring Tazzie Lee Home.” You can message her there, call her at 347-256-4380, or e-mail her at [email protected].
We are hoping and praying and rooting for Tazzie Lee to come home and be reunited with her “Meowmy” Ellen. Some other stories we have published about lost cats who came home months or even years later give us hope – but we certainly hope it doesn’t take so long!
Another tuxedo cat, Mr. Mojo, disappeared in 2013 and was reunited with his family. A full decade later, the cat showed up about two miles away from the South Carolina family, and they got their beloved family member back. A cat named Pepper, who disappeared from her family’s home in Idaho, turned up in San Francisco – more than 600 miles away – a month later!
In this article, we provide a guide on what to do if your cat escapes and gets lost. We also recommend getting your cat a microchip, which can help shelters identify you as the owner if they get your lost cat.
And if you are close to, or within a few hundred miles of, JFK Airport, please keep your eyes peeled for signs of the lost tuxedo cat!
Try having bloodhounds or other trained dogs pick up her scent if this has not already been done. They possibly could track her & find her if she’s still in immediate vicinity.
I’ve contacted the owner via FB about an animal communicator I use, and shared the post to my FB as I’m originally from NJ (you never know) for my friends there.