Pumpkin Recovering At Denver Vet Clinic

Attention, travelers: don't gripe about the crummy accomodations in Coach class. Pumpkin the cat doesn't want to hear it.

Media reports state the intrepid feline traveled around the world for three weeks... in the unheated cargo hold of a United Airlines 747. Ramp workers at Denver International discovered the dehydrated -- and rather disgruntled -- cat Wednesday.

Pumpkin apparently went missing from her travel crate during a December 28 flight from England to Germany, and missed her connection to Washington, DC.

Workers in Denver took Pumpkin to a nearby veterinary clinic.

"When she came in, she was dirty and light as a feather," veterinarian David Gall said. "She has gained about half a pound since we've been feeding her."

Gall added Pumpkin managed to rack up some rather impressive frequent flier miles during her trip.

"As far as we know, she traveled from London to Munich, then to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles," Gall said. "Who knows where else she went."

No one is exactly sure how Pumpkin managed to survive for three weeks without food and water (condensation and, alas, onboard mice may have helped)... but Gall said it helped that Pumpkin was a healthy cat to begin with.

As soon as her recuperation is completed, Pumpkin will be re-United (sorry) with her owner in DC.

ANN was unable to confirm how, exactly, Pumpkin will make the trip -- but unless she receives treatment like Emily, another feline stowaway, received on her trip home onboard Continental Airlines... we wouldn't blame her a bit if she took the bus instead.

FMI: www.united.com