The woman was traveling with her husband and admitted to having the cat in her bag after staff attempted to x-ray the bag and perform other biosecurity tests.
"Apparently it was a very quiet cat. Very docile," Hughes said, according to ITV.
He speculated the cat may have been given drugs to make it drowsy for the duration of the 7,000 mile flight.
New Zealand has strict restrictions regarding importing pets which require the animals to have an implanted microchip and be kept in quarantined for at least 10 days after entering the country.
The woman's actions were described as "deliberate and very stupid" and ultimately led to her being barred from entering the country and sent back to Canada.
"She had plans to have a nice holiday with her husband in New Zealand," Hughes said. "And her cat."
