Like most pet lovers, the Murphys treat their Persian cat, Ashton, as one of their children.

So when the fluffy family member disappeared soon after they landed at Honolulu Airport, the couple spent day and night searching for the 5-year-old feline. Fliers were taped throughout the airport and posted on PetAmberAlert.com, a website to help find missing pets, similar to Amber Alert, which helps locate missing children.

At about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, three members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services were at work when they spotted Ashton under a concrete ramp near the former Northwest Airlines cargo building.

"Now I can smile again," said Tisha Murphy, relieved after 11 days of worrying.

The Murphys expressed gratitude for the assistance they received from United Airlines and others but said the ordeal could have been avoided had the driver transporting Ashton not made a side trip on the way to the airport quarantine station.

"They should be required to go straight to the quarantine," she added. "They aren’t suitcases. They are live, breathing animals."

Cmdr. Tom Murphy gave the full-bred Persian to his wife as a Valentine’s Day gift five years ago. She named him Ashton for his white, silver-colored fur.

The couple and their two children, Ava 4, and Aidan, 2, arrived in Hawaii on May 28 from Washington, D.C.

Tom Murphy was transferred to Pearl Harbor as the prospective commander of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1. It is their first time in Hawaii.

After they picked up their son’s baby stroller near the airport baggage area, Murphy’s wife waved to Ashton, who was inside a dog carrier in the truck bed. He was to be transported to the animal quarantine, 400 to 600 yards from the United terminal.

When the Murphys arrived at the quarantine, they were told he never arrived.

"I was just screaming because I just saw him," recalled Tisha Murphy. She was overcome with worry, describing Ashton as a house cat with no front claws who had never spent time outdoors.

A United official told them the driver went into the baggage area while Ashton was in the truck to do another task before heading to the quarantine. When he returned, he noticed the cage was closed and locked, but Ashton was missing.

There were conflicting reports on whether the carrier was open or closed. Tammy Mori, spokeswoman of the Department of Transportation, said a United official told her the carrier was open when Ashton was discovered missing.

The couple spent several hours each day walking around the airport grounds, searching in the early morning hours or in the evenings past midnight.

"My gut was telling me he was at the airport," said Tisha Murphy. "I couldn’t possibly give up on him."

After wildlife services personnel spotted the cat, the Murphys took Ashton to the King Street Pet Hospital, where he spent the night with a fever. His ordeal had left his fur brown and covered with burrs.

The Murphys picked him up from the hospital yesterday after he received fluids intravenously and was groomed.

Sarah Massier, a spokeswoman for United, said the airline is conducting a full investigation into the matter.