Hit the road, cat
MISSING LEO TURNS UP AFTER TWO WEEKS – 23 MILES AWAY
CAT lovers were left amazed after a moggy missing from North Shields casually strolled into a cattery around 23 miles away.
Amanda Lennox, who runs the Heavensangel Cattery in Widdrington, Northumberland, found Leo outside her house on Wednesday night.
The pet appeared lost and tired so the family took him in, fed him and made him a bed for the night.
Meanwhile, Amanda put out messages on Facebook alerting her followers to a missing pet. She also made inquiries in her village and found no-one had lost the cat locally.
However, the following day, it was found that Leo belonged to Kerry Brunskill, who lives 23 miles away in North Shields. She said the moggy had been missing since January 16.
Both parties were astonished and do not know if the adorable pet walked the whole way or if he may have travelled on someone’s vehicle.
Amanda, 49, said: “On Wednesday night, we heard a meow at our kitchen window and saw this cat who was absolutely desperate to come in.
“We let him in and gave him something to eat. He was feeling really cold.
“We thought maybe it was one of the cats from the village. But I had this gut feeling that he was a missing cat.
“We made a bed for him and he fell asleep, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. He was so shattered, he never moved all night.”
In the mean time, people started to share Amanda’s ‘lost cat’ messages on Facebook. She then received a message from a woman saying this was her neighbour’s pet who had been missing for two weeks.
Amanda said: “I asked her ‘where are you from?’ and she said North Shields. I said ‘are you joking?’ I couldn’t believe it. This little cat had come all the way from North Shields to Widdrington.
“No-one knows how he travelled that distance. He could have walked but there are too many main roads on the way, that makes us think that maybe he got a lift here.
“We are just glad that we were able to find his owner.”
Amanda then drove to North Shields to hand eight-year-old Leo back to Kerry, who was very relieved to see him again.
“I was just so glad he was back,” said 43-year-old Kerry, who has had Leo since he was a kitten. “I felt like I had won the lottery.
“He had actually been missing since January 16. Usually when Leo goes out of the house, he’s never far away. But on that day, he didn’t come back and I knew something was wrong. We searched for him and put up posters. I was thinking the worst, I didn’t sleep for those two weeks.
“But then my neighbour spotted Amanda’s message on Facebook and recognised Leo. I was absolutely shocked to find out he was in Widdrington, that too outside a cattery.
“We don’t know how he managed to get there or where he has been in the last two weeks. But Amanda took good care of him and fed him, and we are glad he is safe.”