One-eyed cat escaped from vets and walked five miles home through snowdrifts

The owners of a one-eyed cat feared the worst when it disappeared outside a vets' surgery. Ginger was so reluctant to go to the vets on Tuesday, March 26, that he burst through the carry cage outside Oak House Veterinary Centre, in St Ann's, Nottingham, and made a run for it. After failed attempts to find the four-year-old, his owner and staff at the centre almost gave up hope. But ten days later the former stray suddenly turned up in the garden of their home – five miles away.

Owner Jayne Middleton, 55, of Redhill, Arnold, said: "Ginger had never been in a cat carrier before but we managed to get him in it and off we went. There isn't a car park at the surgery so we had to park across the road and as we carried him he pushed the door off the carrier and he ran off down a walkway. I ran after him straight away and my partner went into the surgery to get some help. He came back out with three vets and we all looked for him, but we couldn't find Ginger."



After looking in the snow and ice for more than an hour the staff from the surgery went back to work and Miss Middleton returned home fearing the worst. This was until ten days later, when to everyone's relief Ginger returned home. Miss Middleton added: "The outside house light came on and I thought that it would be just one of the local cats but I looked anyway. I went upstairs and opened the window and I could see this ginger tail poking out of the darkness. I shouted him and rushed to meet him with some food. I heard a meow and then he started eating.

"I could not believe it, I was totally amazed and I thought that it was a miracle. If I am honest I never gave up hope and I am so happy and relieved to have him back." Veterinary nurse John Tuohy from Oak House Veterinary Centre said: "We all searched for a long time looking for prints in the snow but had no luck. Everyone at the surgery is relieved that he managed to find his way home. It is very rare for a cat to successfully make its way back after being so far away. He covered a lot of terrain in bad weather and crossed some busy roads. I have never heard of anything like it before."