A MAN who is battling a brain tumour was reunited with his beloved cat by a Hartford vet, seven months after being forced to give up the hunt due to his illness.

John Bruton and his wife Lynne, who live in Leicester, embarked on a countrywide canal cruise on their narrowboat last year and took their two 15-year-old cats, Phoebe and Sadie, along with them.

On August 5, Sadie went missing while the boat was moored near to the Anderton Boat Lift and after several days of searching, the couple were forced to head back to Leicester without their beloved pet.

After seven months had passed, the couple had given up hope their elderly pet returning home, but were shocked when Willows Vetinary in Hartford called to say they had found Sadie.

John said: “We received a phone call from the vets to say Sadie had been found safe and well, seven months since her disappearance.

“Arrangements were made to return her home by car and she arrived back thinner and greyer, but otherwise totally unfazed, although very obviously pleased to see us and her very own bed.

“We would like to thank Kevin and Johnny at the Orchard Marina for feeding and befriending Sadie initially.

“Also a very special thanks to Paula Jackson who apparently fished her out of the Orchard marina, into which she had fallen, and then took her to the Willows Vetinary.”

Sadie was returned to John and Lynne because she was microchipped and the Hartford vets are urging other pet-owners to do the same.

Elaine Goulborn, from Willows Vets in Hartford, said: “Without Sadie's microchip, she would possibly never have been reunited with her owners. We strongly recommend all pet owners to get their pets micro-chipped.”