A Canadian woman has been sent home after trying to smuggle a cat into the country.
The woman, who was flying with her husband, was carrying the cat in a small handbag.
She declared dirty boots to biosecurity officials at Auckland Airport yesterday but failed to mention her feline friend.
The woman, who had flown from Vancouver, admitted to carrying the cat when Ministry of Primary Industries staff attempted to x-ray her baggage.
"She was very reluctant to have the hand bag x-rayed, saying it had already been checked by our quarantine officers," Craig Hughes, of MPI, said.