A missing pet cat has been found in the Orkney Islands – more than 600 miles from her home in England. Little black cat Dexter disappeared from Ledbury, Herefordshire, in early October.
But she has turned up in Scotland’s Northern Isles after appearing to hitch a ride with a travelling fairground. Dexter’s owners, Geoff and Shannon Smith, launched a search after she failed to return home and thought she may have been hiding in a house nearby.
They posted an appeal on social media and set humane traps in a bid to bring Dexter home as a number of sightings were reported in various parts of Ledbury.
But months passed and there was still no sign of Dexter. Then, in an incredible twist, the family received a call to say Dexter had been found – in the Orkney Isles. Shannon said: “We got a call from a vet’s surgery who said an elderly lady has had Dexter for the last two weeks.”
The lady took Dexter – who had been living in her lambing barn – to a vet for a health and chip check and her identity was discovered. Shannon added: “It shows the importance of a microchip.”
It is believed Dexter may have travelled to the very north of the UK with a fairground. The Mop Fair took place in Ledbury in October – around the same time as Dexter disappeared.
The Smiths now face the cost of having Dexter brought home – and the bill could run into the thousands. Shannon said: “We are looking at potential flights and ways my partner can get there but it’s a lot of money. Dexter is staying with this 85-year-old woman on her farm and eating haggis and square sausage so is super-happy at the moment.”
The woman who found Dexter has told the Smiths she is happy to keep her.
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