Lost cat found six years later

SWINDON, England, July 16 (UPI) -- A British woman said she has been reunited with a pet cat that disappeared from her home six years ago.

Amy Turnbull, 34, said she put up posters after Allsort the cat went missing from her home in Swindon, England, in 2003 but eventually came to believe she would never see the missing feline again, The Sun reported Thursday.

"It was one of the worst days of my life when I realized Allsort had gone. I was absolutely beside myself, it was horrific," Turnbill said. "I had given up all hope of ever finding him, it was terrible. I never thought in a million years I'd have him back."

However, Turnbull said she was shocked and delighted when she recently received a letter from a local veterinarian saying the cat had been found.

It turned out the cat had been living only five streets away from Turnbill with an elderly couple who believed Allsort to be a stray and took him in as their own. The cat eventually moved on to other owners, who took the cat to the veterinarian. The vet said in the letter that the feline bore a microchip identifying Turnbill as his owner.