The passenger, identified only as Camille, was travelling from Vannes in Brittany to Paris with her partner and their cat Monet when a ticket inspector issued the penalty.
Camille explained that she had purchased a ticket for Monet, as required by rail operator SNCF, and the cat was safely inside his carrier.
Passenger complaint
“He meowed a little at the beginning of the journey, and following a passenger’s complaint, a ticket inspector issued us a fine,” Camille told French broadcaster BFM. She described the penalty, set at £95, as an injustice.
According to SNCF, the fine was not directly due to Monet’s meows, but to “complaints and tensions” caused by the disturbance. Officials said staff had offered Camille a move to a quieter carriage, but she refused.
Noise on public transport
The incident follows other fines issued on French transport for excessive noise, including a man fined for a loudspeaker phone call and pilgrims fined for singing at a Paris station. Camille has since lodged an appeal, arguing she followed all travel requirements for pets.
