Pet cat missing for 11 years reunited with owners

A pet cat which went missing more than 11 years ago in north-east Scotland has been reunited with his owners.

Fergus disappeared from his home in Forres, Moray, in late 2010.

He was finally found 80 miles away in Aberdeen earlier this month by a Cats Protection volunteer following reports that a cat had been hanging around a recycling centre for several months.

Fergus was then returned to his surprised owners after being identified by a microchip.

It remains a mystery as to where Fergus had been in the intervening years, but it is thought that he may have made the journey to Aberdeen in a vehicle.

"It was such a surprise to get the call that Fergus was alive," said owner Fiona Mutter.

"He was always prone to wandering and would sometimes go off for a few days at a time, but one day he just never came back. We sadly assumed something had happened to him.

"To hear that he was still alive and had ended up so far away was such a shock."

Fiona said Fergus, who was adopted from Cats Protection as a kitten, had been with the family for four years before he disappeared.

When he returned home he was put in a spare bedroom so he could get used to being in the house, and was then introduced to the other family cat, Ozzy.

"He was soon happy to be handled and stroked, he has such a loud purr," said Fiona.

"His coat is so shiny, and he's so friendly, that there's no way he has been living outside all this time. Someone has been taking good care him.

"We are extremely grateful to the Cats Protection volunteer who went above and beyond to get Fergus home."

Alice Palombo, of Cats Protection, said: "Every day, we see how important microchipping is for cats and for the people who care for them."