Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A British woman was reunited with her lost cat after 7 years when the feline was found to be living at a factory just 300 yards from home.
Stephanie Barstow of Corby, Northamptonshire, said her Bengal cat, Duke, failed to return home after a fight with his feline sibling, Nero, in January 2017, and she eventually gave up after months of searching.
Barstow said she was shocked when a knock at her door turned out to be a veterinarian telling her Duke had been found.
"She asked me if I was the owner of a cat called Duke -- I couldn't believe it," Barstow told Wales Online. "She told me that he had been found just 300 yards away from my home at a factory. I was absolutely shocked -- I just completely broke down."
Duke turned out to have been living at the factory, where workers provided him with food and shelter from the cold. They ended up taking the cat to the veterinarian when they determined the factory was no longer safe for Duke.
The veterinarian found Duke had a microchip, but Barstow's phone number was out of date. The veterinarian drove to Barstow's listed address and told her the good news in person.
Barstow said she was overjoyed to reunite with Duke, but changes to her household, including a dog and a new baby, made her decide to rehome him. She said she found Duke a home with a perfect family.
