Missing cat reunited with family after 10 years

Whiskas disappeared in 2013

A cat has been reunited with her family 10 years after she went missing.

Whiskas, who is 16 years old, was found in Chilton Moor, near Houghton-le-Spring, not far from where she used to live.

A local resident found her living in his shed and took her to a vet in December, where she was found to have an old RSPCA microchip.

Her owner, Linda Ellerton, who last saw Whiskas in 2013, was alerted after the charity put out an online appeal.

'Living as a stray'

Ms Ellerton, who adopted Whiskas in 2007 after the then-kitten was found abandoned under a hedge in Scotland, said she could not believe her cat had been found.

She said Whiskas went missing from the family's garden in 2013, and since then they have moved from County Durham to Hazelrigg, near Newcastle.

“When I saw the RSPCA Facebook post I thought it can't possibly be Whiskas after all these years," she said, adding: "I thought the photos looked like her, but it had been so long and we’d never thought we’d see her again.

"We thought she had found somewhere else to live when she didn't come in one night."

As she now has a large dog, Ms Ellerton said the decision was made to rehome Whiskas with her brother, David Jeffrey.

Linda Ellerton's reunion with Whiskas was "emotional", the RSPCA said

RSPCA inspector David Dawon said: "It was pleasing that we were able to reunite Linda with Whiskas after all these years. She had a cuddle with her and it was very emotional to see."

Mr Dawson said it is believed Whiskas had "many years of living as a stray", and has a kidney problem which will require ongoing treatment.

But Whiskas had put on weight and was recovering well, he added.

From 10 June, it will be a legal requirement to microchip pet cats once they reach 20 weeks of age, with a failure to comply potentially resulting in a £500 fine.