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Cat missing for five years reunited with 'elated' family

Vicky Stokes Roxy the catVicky Stokes
Roxy (pictured) will now be reunited with her old cat friend George, although will have to contend with her replacement Harley

A cat which had been missing for five years has been reunited with her owners.

Roxy, seven, escaped during a visit to the vets in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire in 2013.

Owner Vicky Stokes, 35, scoured the streets searching for her and put up posters of the beloved tabby, all to no avail.

But after a bedraggled Roxy started hanging around in Amy Ward's garden recently, she took her in.

Vicky Stokes Missing poster for RoxyVicky Stokes
Vicky Stokes put posters of her beloved cat all over the local area

Miss Ward said: "She looked really thin and obviously had fleas so we started feeding her and even called out the RSPCA to try and catch her but she freaked out.

"I even tried to put her in a box but she nearly tore me to pieces so we just started feeding her closer and closer to the house."

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Gradually Miss Ward won Roxy's trust and she started coming inside and was able to give her several flea treatments and then entice her into a box.

She unknowingly took the cat back to the very same vets she had disappeared from and as she was microchipped they were able to trace her owner.

'Little Christmas miracle'

Mrs Stokes, who has since moved and had two daughters - aged four and nine months - received a phone call on 29 December.

She said: "She is our little Christmas miracle, we are totally elated.

"I thought she was dead but she seems OK, we are so grateful to Amy for bringing her in."

Vicky Stokes Roxy shortly after being returnedVicky Stokes
Roxy is thought to be in good health but will be thoroughly checked over by a vet on January 2

Roxy is currently enjoying pride of place on her owners' bed, much to the disgust of her replacement Harley, Mrs Stokes said.

She added: "Things have changed a bit since she was last here so we now have three cats in total and two kids and we live in a different house but hopefully she will settle in in no time."