A family cat that went missing a decade ago has been found safe and well. Charlie vanished from Lucy and Hannah Robertson's home in Abercarn in April 2016. The sisters searched for months but eventually gave up hope. Then, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, they received a call that the “impossible” had happened – Charlie had been found.
Disappearance and search
Charlie was an outdoor cat who roamed the streets. In April 2016, after the family had recently moved to a new area in Abercarn, he never returned home. Lucy, then 20, and Hannah, then 27, posted on social media and asked neighbours if they had seen him. “When she went missing we searched for her for months and months and kept posting on Facebook but nobody came back to us. It was heartbreaking. We were scared that she had been knocked over or that she wasn't around anymore,” Lucy said.
Unexpected reunion
Over a decade later, a veterinary practice in Abercarn called the sisters. A resident had found Charlie living in nearby bushes and had been feeding him for four weeks before taking him to the vets. A microchip traced the 13-year-old tabby back to Lucy and Hannah. “She recognised us straight away which was lovely because we didn't expect that. She doesn't look much different at all, she looks exactly the same as the old photos we have of her. We've brought her back home to Newport where we live now,” Lucy said. Hannah was in “disbelief” and cried when reunited with Charlie.
