The family, who lives near Sarasota, according to mysuncoast.com, bought the hairless peterbald kitten from a breeder in Canada. The kitten was being transported to its new family for the first time.

Rudy's cage broke open, and the kitten escaped into the cargo area around 7 a.m. Thursday.

A Delta Airlines spokesperson said a search is underway and the airline is looking into what went wrong.

The family started a Facebook page "Help us find Rudy." They are offering a $2,000 cash reward for the cat's recovery, according to a post on the page.