Deaf man goes viral for wearing his famously calm cat as a hat while going through TSA checks at Tampa airport: 'That cat got first class vibes'

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Mar 30, 2026 7:00 AM EDT

In Tampa, Florida, Jeremy Smith, AKA the "BeltLine Cat Guy" caused quite an uproar by taking his fuzzy friend with him through TSA and onto the plane…as a hat! Frontier Airlines says they never expurrienced a passenger so purrfectly well-behaved, and honestly, we believe it.

When Dr. Seuss wrote "The Cat in the Hat", we're not quite sure this is what he was imagining. However, this is far better.

Jeremy Smith, AKA the "BeltLine Cat Guy", was born deaf. He adopted Whisker when she was maybe 3-months-old, from a homeless man who offered her to him for $100. After about two weeks of training, Whisker became comfortable sitting on Jeremy's shoulders, even riding on his bike with him. From there, Whisker adopted her adorable spot on top of his head.

This purrfect pair is almost always seen together, Whisker calmly riding on Jeremy's head while he goes about his day. We've seen a lot of cats in our time as writers for I Can Has Cheezburger, including people who travel the world with their cats, but we've never seen one as calm and collected as Whisker. She just sits there, patiently, while people "oooooh" and "awwww" over her cuteness (we're pretty sure she's silently judging everyone from above, but we can't prove it).

Recently, Whisker and Jeremy were found going through Tampa TSA while Whisker was purrfectly perched on top of his headphones, like a hat. She went through all the security checkpoints with more poise than 99% of the hoomans there, but we have been informed that she did go into her carrier upon entering the plane, according to Frontline animal pawlicy. She was still better behaved than most of the hooman customers, though.

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So, funnily enough, Jeremy's airport travel with Whisker went viral, but for the completely wrong reasons. Firstly, many thought he was a woman, purrhaps because of his tight clothes and purrfectly extravagant style, but we think he looks stunning just the way he is. Secondly, somewhere along the way, the story got twisted into him trying to sneak Whisker on by passing her off as a hat. This was debunked by a Frontier Airlines employee who took a picture of him at the airline desk, waiting to board the plane. They confirmed that he had paid for his cat to fly with him, and brought all the appropriate materials to comply with the airline's pet policy.
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