TSA warns of uptick in concealed ‘cat eyes’ keychain weapon

Hell-no Kitty.

Transportation Security Administration officials in Albany are warning travelers about a concerning uptick in innocuous-looking concealed weapons called “cat eyes.”

“The frequency in which we are seeing these items among carry-on items is disappointing,” Bart R. Johnson, the TSA Federal Security Director for 13 airports in Upstate New York, lamented in a statement.

These popular self-defense accessories, which are generally made of metal or hard plastic, are similar to brass knuckles but they’re in the shape of a kitty face — hence the name.


Cat eyes.
Cat eyes (pictured) come in many colors and shapes and are often attached to keychains for easy access. “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,” said Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for 13 airports in Upstate New York. TSA

Cat eyes.
The wielder puts their fingers through the eyeholes and uses the pointed ears to stab and gouge. TSA

The wielder simply slips their fingers through the eye holes, and then uses the pointy ears to slash and gouge attackers, evoking a knuckleduster Catwoman might use against her foes.

Like with brass knuckles, the TSA classifies the feline-themed accessory as a club and prohibits travelers from transporting them in their luggage.

If cat eyes are detected during security screening, the TSA will take the passengers aside and search their bags for the items, per the release.

“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,” the TSA writes.

Nonetheless, flyers’ often forget they have these items on them due to their cutesy countenance — some are even modeled after dogs — and the fact that they’re generally attached to keychains for easy access, USA Today reported.

“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,” said Johnson.

Cat eyes aren’t the only weapons that airport security staffers are confiscating at ridiculous rates.

Last year, TSA agents stopped a record 6,737 firearms at airport checkpoints — 93% of which were loaded.

The eye-popping haul was a staggering three times larger than the amount of guns seized by authorities ten years ago.