Family 'shocked' as cat missing for three years is returned

Mrs Welch said she "never thought after three years we would finally have Shadow home"

A cat has been reunited with its owners after going missing when they moved house three years ago.

Shadow, who was six months old, disappeared around the time the Welch family left Westbury, Wiltshire, for Nunney in Somerset in 2019.

He then turned up at the home of Carolyn Latif, who started feeding him as he looked "a bit shabby".

When she took him to the vet, a chip check meant he could be reunited with his original owners.

Owner Christal Welch said the family is "shocked and very very happy" to have him home.

She said her children are "absolutely delighted" to see him and Shadow's sister and the family's dogs are also "very pleased" to have him back.

"They have settled very well and he's now part of our family finally and they all get on really well".

Shadow had to be treated at the vet for sore ears and fleas but otherwise was in good condition

In Westbury, Ms Latif had been noticing the smell of a male cat in her house for "some time" and that her cat Treacle's biscuits had been going missing.

"I thought she can't eat them that quick", she said.

Then Ms Latif saw the black-and-white Shadow looking "a bit shabby and a bit sad" so she fed him.

However, after some months, she realised Treacle was getting too distressed with Shadow being around and had a cat flap with a magnet on it installed.

The magnet means the cat flap only opens for microchipped cats so when Shadow could still get in, she realised he must be chipped.

Ms Latif called the RSPCA soon after as he also had a cut she was worried about and they advised her where to take him.

'Over the moon'

A quick scan when he was being treated pulled up his chip details and the Welch' family was contacted.

Ms Latif said she was "over the moon" he had owners to go home to.

"I love cats... and I wanted him to go to a good family," she said.

Ms Welch said when the family welcomed Shadow home, he "definitely knew his name".

"We're feeding him and he's had lots of treats but he hasn't ventured out as of yet."