A woman’s dedication to her lost moggy has been rewarded after she and the beloved puss were reunited almost a year later thanks to the cat’s microchip.

Jayne Swan, from Truro, received a call from Cats Protection’s Cornwall Adoption Centre 11 months after her ginger-and-white Scarab went missing to let her know he was safely in its care and ready for collection.

Seven-year-old Scarab, who high-fives Jayne when she holds her hand up in greeting, was originally adopted from the centre at 13 weeks’ old. He went missing on September 17 2020, not long after Jayne had moved from a more rural area into the city.

Ms Swan suffers from chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, a rare illness which causes muscle weakness, particularly affecting the use of eye and forehead muscles, creating double vision and droopy eyes.

Her illness and accompanying poor eyesight made a home with good transport links vital to maintain her independence but the move proved a shock to Scarab who had a fear of cars after a road traffic accident when he was a year old.

Ms Swan said: “After I moved because of my illness, I bought Feliway, boarded up the cat-flap and kept Scarab and his sister Katniss safely in the kitchen, with a plan to keep them in until they adjusted.”

Falmouth Packet:

Picture: Jayne Swan

Just over two weeks after she moved in and was preparing to let the cats explore their new neighbourhood she discovered their new cat-flap was installed the wrong way round and would let the cats out but not in. She blocked the cats’ exit once again until she could fix it but both moggies managed to escape her blockade overnight and got locked out. Ms Swan was woken by the sound of Katniss trying to get in but no sign of Scarab.

She adds: “I searched and searched, but couldn't find Scarab anywhere. I was beside myself that my little companion had vanished. Day after day I looked for him at all hours, I asked everyone I saw. I handed out leaflets, I put posters up, I put items with his scent on in the garden, I posted on social media, I made sure his microchip was up to date.

"Whenever there was a potential sighting I drove to check whether it was him and after I had to give up my car because of my eyesight I went by bus to try and find him."

Falmouth Packet:

Picture: Jayne Swan

Her faith that Scarab would return to her was realised when she received a call from deputy manager Gareth Williams from Cats Protection’s Cornwall Adoption Centre. He explained Scarab had been found by a lady who contacted the centre. Once in care he was scanned for a microchip and the chip held Jayne’s details, meaning the pair could be reunited.

Ms Swan said: “I was shocked and don't remember much of the call. I burst into tears and arranged to collect him right away. I’m so grateful to everyone at the centre and to the lady who found him.

"He was only two streets away from me and may even have been there all the time I was looking for him.

"He’s settled at home now and is not allowed near the cat-flap! Luckily he remembers me and still knows how to high-five, a trick that I taught him before he went missing. I’m so glad I had him microchipped, I might never have seen him again otherwise.”