Princess Kitty is a bit of a globetrotter.
The little stuffed cat with white fur and a pink crown has traveled to five countries and dozens of destinations around the world.
But Princess Kitty rarely adventured unattended — until this week when she was stranded at Denver International Airport.
The prized possession of a 9-year-old Greenwood Village girl initially was feared lost for good. But in a matter of 48 hours, she became a social-media starlet and a success story for the airport’s lost-and-found department.
When not in the arms of Annie Wieck, who has owned the toy since she was a toddler, Princess Kitty accompanies Anna’s mother, Sonja, who has traveled the world to compete in triathlon events and Ironman races.
“I really use it to stay connected with (Annie) when I’ve been away from her,” Sonja Wieck said Wednesday. “And she feels connected to me.”
Sonja Wieck, an elite amateur triathlete, will take pictures of herself with Princess Kitty in various locations and with famous athletes and send the photos to her daughter. Wieck estimates that the stuffed cat has accompanied her to more than 50 destinations.
Fittingly, the jet-setting cat’s point of origin was a DIA gift shop.
And it was back at DIA where the most poignant venture occurred.
Early Monday, Wieck, her husband and daughter arrived at DIA weary from a flight that left from Washington, D.C., at 3:30 in the morning. In that tired haze, the Wiecks exited the DIA train and the secured area, accidentally leaving Princess Kitty behind.
When Annie realized her favorite toy was missing, she was devastated, her mother said. She filed a report with the airport lost-and-found department and then Tweeted a picture of the missing item to .
DIA’s officials responded that they were on the case and, a day later, tweeted back the good news: Not only was Princess Kitty found, but she also got to explore the nation’s fifth-busiest airport.
Pictures akin to the traveling gnome pranks highlighted in movies such as “Amelie,” DIA’s Lost & Found staff .
“They wanted to show (Annie) that she was taken care of and not just sitting on a shelf in Lost & Found,” DIA spokesman Heath Montgomery said.
The gesture brought Wieck to tears, she wrote in her blog at .
“I cannot say enough nice things about this whole experience,” she wrote. “For someone to take the time to treat this (situation) in this way literally melts my heart. “
And after the story of Princess Kitty gained a following on social media, Wieck created a Twitter page for the adventurous cat at .
Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or twitter.com/aliciawallace
