Austin man reunited with cat 2 days after Lyft fiasco

“I don’t really have a strong community here. This is really tough.”

Palash Pandey, cat owner

A frantic Texas man has reunited with his cat after a Lyft driver allegedly took off with his pet, leading to a viral whirlwind on social media and mobilizing volunteer searches.

Palash Pandey said he was taking his 2-year-old black and white cat, Tux, to the veterinarian in Austin on Saturday when the Lyft driver dropped him off, but the car sped away before he removed his pet carrier. Pandey told Austin media outlets that he screamed, chased the vehicle and banged on the windows, but the motorist left.

Over the next two days, Pandey posted about the ordeal on X, formerly known as Twitter. Some 7.5 million people viewed his initial post online, which was shared more than 7,000 times.

On Reddit, volunteers shared theories and organized searches for Tux, while pet organizations passed out flyers.

Early Monday, investigators with Lyft found Tux in northwest Austin, about a mile away from the veterinarian’s office, Pandey said social media. Her carrier was not recovered.

“She looks very tired, is covered in fleas and dehydrated,” he wrote on Reddit. “She started eating wet food again which is a good sign but I’ll monitor her and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit.”

Pandey told KVUE in Austin that he recently moved to Austin from Philadelphia and had not met many people yet, adding that considers Tux a “really, really good friend.”

“I don’t really have a strong community here,” Pandey said. “This is really tough.”

During the search, Pandey expressed frustration with

Lyft, who he said was initially unresponsive. He told KVUE that he filed a police report, reached out to Lyft and messaged the driver numerous times through the app. After a couple of hours, the driver replied, “I don’t have anything of yours” and “She isn’t there sorry.”

As the story gained momentum, Lyft CEO David Risher later wrote on X that the company’s “initial response was awful,” but that the company was now doing everything it could to help.

On Monday, Lyft wrote on X: “Tux has been found! We’re focused on making sure Tux has everything she needs right now. We are actively working with all involved to fully understand the situation. We must do better in how we support our community. And, we will.”

Austin police confirmed officers responded Saturday night to a report about the theft of a cat, but the department has since learned that the pet was recovered.

“This is an open investigation, no other information is available at this time,” the department said Monday.