A CAT missing for five years has finally been reunited with its owners after being found just a whisker from where she went missing.

Owners Caroline Buckley and her father Peter were in the process of moving house from Shelf when they stayed temporarily with a family member in Thackley five years ago this month.

While staying there they occasionally let their two cats out into the garden - but one time both Tinkerbell and Bobby did not return.

The family continued with their house move and have since moved to Northowram, always making sure to update the cats' microchip details.

So when Tinkerbell was found in a greenhouse in a garden in Thackley earlier this month, RSPCA inspector Emma Ellis was able to see that the cat had been reported lost, contact the owners, and reunite them the same day.

Ms Buckley said: “We never gave up hope for Tinkerbell, at the time I made posters and put them out in Bradford and Halifax, I posted pictures of her on Facebook and we’d visit our old home to see if she had returned there.

“The second time we moved I made sure I updated her details again although we were losing hope by this point but I am so glad I did.

“When we got the call from Emma I was speechless, I told my Dad and he just burst into tears, we couldn’t believe it - we wanted her back straight away.

“She sits on my Dad’s knee now as though she has never been away - although I think it’ll be a while before we let her out!

“It has renewed our hope that we might be reunited with Bobby too as he is still missing - he is a very distinctive cat so we just hope someone in the local area might recognise him.

Inspector Ellis said: “I’m so glad to have been part of this happy story - and it just shows how important those microchips are.

“Tinkerbell was in great condition and a good weight so I suspect someone may have been feeding her during her adventures, but it’s lovely to see her back where she belongs now.”