A cat that vanished from her home in East Yorkshire a decade ago, leaving her owners to believe she had died, has been found alive and well after being adopted by a neighbour.
Lilly, now 15, disappeared from her home in Hutton Cranswick in 2009. Owner Alex Elliott, an A&E nurse, had searched for her pet, putting up posters and checking with local vets, but eventually assumed the worst.
Ms Elliott received a call out of the blue from a vet in Bridlington, who told her: 'We've got your cat, Lilly.' The vet had scanned a microchip implanted in 2004, which contained Ms Elliott's phone number.
The cat had been handed to the RSPCA before being taken to the vet. Ms Elliott described the reunion as 'a massive shock' and said Lilly had settled back into family life immediately.
Ms Elliott urged other pet owners to microchip their animals and advised against feeding cats that do not belong to you, suggesting instead to report them to the RSPCA or a vet.
