Russian Cat Was Too Fat For Flight, So Owner Hired A Body Double

Today in weird animal news: A Russian man tried to board a flight with his cat, Viktor (not pictured above), but the animal weighed more than the 18-pound limit for animals to be transported in the plane’s cabin. The Russian man, Mikhail Galin, refused to stow Viktor in the cargo area, so he instead hired a body-double to fool the airport scale and airline staff in order to smuggle his furry friend onto the flight.

NBC News reported that Galin detailed his plot on his Facebook page after he and Viktor landed in Vladivostok from Moscow. “Photos showed Viktor standing on Galin’s lap, gazing out the window, as his owner sipped champagne,” the outlet reported, adding that Galin’s deception was “reminiscent of a bank heist or spy thriller.”