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Home » TSA » TSA Issues Urgent Warning Over…“Cat Eyes”
NewsTSA

TSA Issues Urgent Warning Over…“Cat Eyes”

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 9, 2024September 9, 2024 8 Comments

a group of metal cat shaped keychains

It appears that a so-called weapon commonly referred to as “cat eyes” is showing up in more carry-on bags, according to the TSA, to the extent that an urgent warning has been issued to leave them at home.

TSA Warns Over “Cat Eyes” At Airport Security Checkpoints

Cat eyes are akin to brass knuckles, but shaped like a cat…

As described by the TSA:

“Cat eyes,” which perhaps are better known for their dangerous ears than their eyes, fall along the lines of brass knuckles. A user places their fingers through the cat’s eyes and the ears become dangerous weapons, much like a set of brass knuckles, only sharp and pointy. 

When these items are detected at the security checkpoint, the passengers and their carry-on items are pulled off to the side and their bags opened and searched to remove the weapons. At that point, the TSA officers give the traveler their choices to either return the item to their vehicle; hand them off to a non-traveling companion; return to the airline counter to place them in a checked bag; or voluntarily surrender them to TSA for disposal.

Some of the “cat eyes” are metal, others are manufactured in hard plastic. Some look more like dogs than cats, but either way, they are intended to do harm. Many are detected attached to keychains.

I’ve never heard of cat eyes before, but I can see why they are classified as weapons and also why they are likely to be found on keychains…it’s a handy self-defense tool and less likely than pepper spray, knives, or guns to backfire and be used against you.

Bart Johnston, TSA’s Federal Security Director for 13 airports in Upstate New York, says, “Our officers are diligent in their duties and are good at spotting these weapons using the technologies at our checkpoints. I commend them for their continued vigilance and ask travelers to be equally diligent themselves and leave these items at home when packing for a flight. We come across these items daily and it slows down passengers who must stop and wait for our officers to remove the offending item and it backs up the line for the other travelers.”

But I suspect a lot of these pass through screenings undetected and the “urgent” TSA bulletin on these items may serve to further proliferate their appearance at airport security checkpoints.

In any case, now you’ve learned about a new weapon and that if you fail to smuggle it through, the worst that will happen is the TSA will throw it away…


image: TSA

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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8 Comments

  1. Karen Reply
    September 9, 2024 at 12:52 pm

    Hell-no Kitty, lol.

  2. Aaron Reply
    September 9, 2024 at 3:10 pm

    Well, you learn about something new every day.

  3. david Reply
    September 9, 2024 at 4:47 pm

    TSA is just doing their job and that’s ok. But they might as well be farting into the winds of a hurricane. There’s a much larger threat coming across our wide open borders that is going to rock our world some day just like 9/11 did. In retrospect it seems stupid to have set up Homeland Security after 9/11 only to years later not enforce our borders and let so many people from all corners of the world come walking in.

    • Aaron Reply
      September 9, 2024 at 5:42 pm

      Oh geez not this nonsense.

  4. Rebecca Reply
    September 9, 2024 at 7:55 pm

    I love my “cat eyes”. And I don’t need to get a license to carry

  5. emercycrite Reply
    September 11, 2024 at 9:22 am

    “Our officers are diligent in their duties” might be the funniest thing I’ve read all day.

  6. PolishKnight Reply
    September 11, 2024 at 3:35 pm

    The TSA does allow ROUNDED knives. From the website: “Except knives with rounded-blades, blunt edges without serration/teeth such as butter knives, or plastic cutlery”

    Cat’s Eyes appear to be about as harmful as a butter knife. The rules are largely psychological: OK to bring in mouthwash in 10 100ml containers instead of a single liter container.

    I’m also amused that there’s some charities or sales of these confiscated items by the airports meaning that it’s well known that these are harmless substances (they are sold after all) but… The Rules.

    This gets me to thinking about the general American psyche: When so many people are like this, needing this psychological emotional support blanket of throwing toothpaste away to feel safe, it makes me wonder how hey are qualified to vote in elections on abstract political principles. Is the smile of the candidate going to woo them into changing their vote?

    I’m Generation X and we were told as children age 8 to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE and WE BETTER NOT SEE YOU BEFORE DUSK! GO PLAY!!! Now, CPS would be called.

  7. Josh T Reply
    September 11, 2024 at 7:25 pm

    When I visited India (Kolkata/Calcutta) in January 2024, on the way out I had an item confiscated that was described by their TSA equivalent as a “ninja tool”. It was a sizing device for bolts that had holes in it of different sizes but also diagonally cut edges for measuring or something. I could not see it being used at a weapon. Ironically, it was a give away at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh. They also confiscated a very small screwdriver.

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