A missing cat has finally returned home – six years after it vanished.

Chloe, a tabby and white cat, went missing in 2010 after she jumped from a pet carrier when her owner Rebecca Lee was taking her to the vet in Caerphilly, south Wales.

After living as a stray and being cared for by an elderly woman just over a mile away from her owner’s home, Chloe was eventually handed into Cats Protection’s adoption centre in Bridgend, where a routine scan of her microchip meant she could finally be reunited with her owner.

Lee, who thought Chloe had died in a road accident, said she was overjoyed to be able to have her back.

“It was a real shock, but lovely news to hear that Chloe had been found and was alive and well after so many years,” she said.

“Chloe had jumped from the pet carrier in the car park and we never saw her again.

“I put up posters and placed adverts and shortly after got a call to say a cat matching her description had been found dead by the roadside.

“I was devastated but came to terms with her death. Unbeknown to me at the time, it seems she had wandered as a stray before eventually finding an elderly lady who had taken her in.”

Molly Hughes, the deputy manager at the Bridgend adoption centre, said Chloe had been brought in by the family of the elderly woman, who had become too frail to care for her.

“We scanned Chloe, which is routine for all cats coming into our care, and our receptionist noticed she was registered to a different owner and address,” she said.

“We managed to get hold of Rebecca, Chloe’s original owner, who was shocked to hear from us that Chloe was in our care.

“Chloe was nervous with us but she was very happy to see Rebecca and started rolling over and purring when she saw her.

“It’s great to have been able to reunite Chloe with her family, and it was touching to see them together.

“Chloe’s story goes to show why microchipping is so important and how effective it is. However, just as important as having your cat microchipped is keeping the details up to date.

“We often have microchipped cats come into our care and are sadly unable to reunite them with their owners because the contact details on the database are incorrect.”