Cat missing for almost a year reunited with owners after discovery 100 miles away in Leeds

A cat who had been missing for 11 months has been reunited with its owners after it was found 100 miles away from home in Leeds.

Ginge was discovered by Lucy Roche, a volunteer branch leader at Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds, while she was caring for a feral colony in Garforth earlier this month.

Lucy has regularly conducted wellbeing checks on the group of unsocialised cats for the past eight years but became suspicious when she noticed a new feline had joined the colony.

Unsure if the new cat was feral, the volunteer took him to the vets.

Microchip data revealed that Ginge did indeed have a home, however, what caught Lucy and the vet practice by surprise was this: he was from Sunderland.

“I said ‘there are a few ginger cats missing from round here’ and [the vet] went ‘no, this one’s from Sunderland,” Lucy told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“The owners were really tearful and just so grateful he’d been found.”

It turned out that Ginge had been missing from his Sunderland home since September 2025.

Though it is unknown how he travelled as far as Leeds, Lucy thinks it is “highly likely” Ginge accidentally became stuck in a van travelling between counties.

Just one day after the vet’s discovery, Ginge’s owners took on a 200-mile round trip to be reunited with their much-loved pet.

For Lucy, the reunion was a “rewarding” moment to watch.

Lucy said: “I was really touched by it.

“It was clear that the cat was truly loved and he was a family pet.

“I was overjoyed to be able to make that happen. It's definitely a proud moment in my 11 years of doing cat rescue.”

Since returning to his Sunderland home, Ginge’s owners have updated Lucy that he has settled in well, “not phased by his adventure”.

It’s a happy reunion, but one only made possible by his microchip, a tiny electronic capsule inserted under Ginge’s skin which reveals his owner's details.

Ginge’s story has been just one of the many cat rescues Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds has taken on over the past few weeks as the charity has had a “sharp increase in intake”.

Lucy said: “This week alone, I’ve had in the region of 100 calls per day.”

“We are really working at a level that is unprecedented because we’re trying to keep up with the demand.

“This week alone, I’ve had in the region of 100 calls per day.”

For this reason, Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds encourages the public to reach out if they are interested in fostering or adopting a cat, volunteering for the charity, or donating.