A five-year-old rescue cat from Grangetown, Sunderland, has been reunited with his owner after being discovered 40 miles away in the engine bay of a car. Charlie went missing on Sunday morning, prompting owner Laura Carroll and her daughter to search the area and post appeals on social media.
Unbeknownst to them, Charlie had sneaked into a car's engine bay and travelled to Warkworth, Northumberland. The driver, an agency staff member at The Grange Nursing Home, was unaware of the stowaway until staff spotted the cat poking out from the grille.
Housekeeper Kelly Stavers said they spent an hour and 20 minutes trying to free Charlie, eventually removing the car's battery. The cat was then handed to JJ's Cat and Kitten Rescue, who used social media to track down Laura Carroll.
Laura, a mother of three, said: 'As soon as I saw the 'found' photo I knew straight away it was him. And to see he had been found in Northumberland was unbelievable.' She added that Charlie is a house cat and rarely goes outside.
Charlie survived the 52-minute drive without injury. Laura plans to have him microchipped. 'He's a very friendly and affectionate cat so would probably go to anyone,' she said.
