A missing Siamese cat has been found 290 miles away by a dog after apparently hitching a lift.
Villagers in Glan Conwy in North Wales had searched in vain for two-year-old Ashley and hopes of finding her were disappearing fast.
But the cat was discovered nine days later by a family dog in a garage in Essex, reports North Wales Live.
Bobby the dog twice sniffed out the feline stowaway before she was captured and identified by her microchip.
Owner Dan Worsley then made a 580-mile round trip to collect Ashley and reunite her with his wife Val.
He said the couple were “overjoyed” to have her back home.
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“She recognised me straight away,” he said. “She was purring like mad.
Mr Worsley, 76, believes Ashley made a dash for it after getting locked in the bathroom on Good Friday, April 15.
As cleaners had left the bathroom window open, it’s believed she jumped onto a leylandii hedge before falling to the ground 15ft below.
“She’d previously never shown any desire to go out,” he said. “We put up posters, shared appeals on Facebook and the whole village joined in the search for her, for which we are very grateful. But when no one reported any sightings, we began to get a bit downhearted.”
On Sunday, his wife received a call from Karen Keeves in Tilbury, Essex. A volunteer with cat rehoming charity Pippa’s Army, she revealed Ashley had been found by a homeowner in nearby North Stifford. Both places lie close to the River Thames, east of London.
Carol Monk and her dog Bobby found her after he began scratching and crying by the garage as if to indicate something was inside.
Mr Worsley said: “The real hero of the story was Bobby, who twice located Ashley in her garage. The first time was on Thursday. Carol rang Karen Keeves but by the time she arrived, Ashley had gone. They assumed she must be a local stray.
“But on the Sunday Bobby began barking again and this time Carol was able to retrieve Ashley from the garage. Karen came with her chip scanner and identified her as Ashley.”
Just how Ashley managed to make her way across North Wales, and down to southern England, remains a mystery. Mr Worsley has a theory.
“We live in a picturesque area with lots of Airbnbs,” he said. “I can’t say for certain, but I imagine that perhaps holidaymakers from Essex were loading the car when Ashley decided to hide in the boot.
“It’s just speculation, of course. But I would like to think it was an accident and not deliberate.”
Do you have a dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
