In a weird occasion, a cat has been appointed as an official at US’ San Francisco International Airport to calm nervous flyers, in keeping with a report by The Independent (article past paywall).

The airport took to Twitter to announce the appointment of the 14-year-old black and white cat, Duke Ellington Morris, to the “Wag Brigade” together with the its snap carrying a tiny pilot’s hat and shirt collar. “Purrlease welcome our newest Wag Brigade member, Duke Ellington Morris!” the caption learn.

The Wag Brigade, initially launched by the California airport in 2013, goals to “bring trained animals to the airports to help sooth anxious travellers,” the report added.

Earlier, this system was restricted to canine, however over time it has been expanded to incorporate different skilled animals together with cats, rabbits, and even the “world’s first therapy pig”, LilLou, the report added.

The San Francisco SPCA certifies animals who efficiently full its Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) course and are then chosen for his or her temperament and behavior

According to the report, the cat was rescued in 2010 from a feral cat colony. He was adopted by a five-year-old woman and her mom who obtained it licensed as a remedy animal.

However, it’s not the primary time that animals have been engaged at airports to enhance passengers’ moods. In 2017, Cincinnati/Northern Ohio Airport launched remedy miniature horses in a bid to settle down pressured travellers passing by its doorways, the report added.