Pet cat found in Edinburgh after travelling 60 miles from his home in West Dunbartonshire

The adventurous moggy - called Cheeky - was found in an Edinburgh garden earlier this week after travelling from his home in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.

It is believed the elderly pet made his way to the capital by jumping into a works van outside his home and escaping after the vehicle arrived in the city’s Colinton area.

Cheeky was handed in to the Scottish SPCA. During a check up at a local vet it was discovered he was microchipped and contact was made with his owner in Clydebank.

Owner Jim Gracie admits he was “puzzled but delighted” to receive a phone call from the PDSA saying they had his missing pet in their care.

Jim, 58, said: “I saw Cheeky on the Friday morning and as he has a habit of visiting neighbours around here I wasn’t too bothered when I didn't see him the next day - it’s usual for him.

“So you can imagine my surprise to receive a phone call from the PDSA about 10pm on the Saturday to say Cheeky had been found in Edinburgh and could I come and collect him.

“So I jumped into my car and drove the 60 miles through to Edinburgh and we were eventually reunited at about 2am the following morning.

“We are having a bit of work done on the roads near my house and I can only assume he has got into a works van and jumped out at the other end.

“I would just like to say thank you to the kind person who took Cheeky in because he suffers badly from arthritis and I am not sure how long he would have lasted outside on his own.

“I got him about four years ago from a rescue centre so don’t really know how old he is, but he is certainly an older gentleman shall we say.”

Animal lover Lorna Cox, from the capital’s Colinton, said her daughter first saw Cheeky in their garden and they were “delighted’ to hear the moggy had been reunited with his owner.

Lorna said: “My daughter was gardening with her dad when she spotted a cat in the garden. She got concerned when our dog ran up barking at it and it didn’t move, so I went out to check on it.

“It let me stroke it and we could tell something was wrong when it didn't flinch with a dog and seemed quite skinny through its fluffy fur.

“I took it inside and put it in a box and we gave it some tuna. I’ve never seen a cat so happy for a tin of tuna.

“We checked local Facebook pages to see if any one was missing a cat and then we called the Scottish SPCA.”

Catherine Atterton, a Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer, said, “We are delighted that the cat who had been missing was reunited with their owner.

“This happy reunion shows just how important it is to ensure your pets are microchipped, so that should they go missing there is a greater chance of them getting back safe and sound to their owner.

“If you find an injured stray animal, please contact our helpline on 03000 999 999.”