SIX years after Meffelda and Bill Hay lost their cat Punky, the last thing they expected was for her to be returned to them, alive and well.

Punky would have been 20 after all, so even if she had been spared from starvation or careless driving, her age should have got the better of her - or so they thought.

Mrs Hay, who works at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, found this was not the case when Punky was brought in to the shelter as a lost cat.

She said: "I could not believe it when Battersea called me to say they had Punky. I was lost for words.

"I've missed her so much over the years and, as she's 20 years old and had been missing for such a long time, I'd lost any hope of being reunited with her."

A further coincidence is that Punky, so named because of the ginger patch of fur on her head, was found living just 12 minutes away from the Hay's house in New Malden.

Mr Hay explained that Punky was a nervous cat, and when the family moved house six years ago, she went missing.

He said: "She must have gone out of the cat flap and got lost in the area.

"After that I think she must have found another family to feed her, but when that family moved on, they didn't take her with them."

Punky has lost all her hearing, and looked slightly different to her former self, but she had been micro-chipped, so was successfully identified.

Mr Hay said: "It shows it's well worth micro-chipping your pet. We had Punky since she was a tiny kitten, so it is incredible to have her back."

If you have lost or found a dog or cat, call Battersea's Lost Dogs & Cats Line 0901 477 8477. Calls cost 60p per minute.

The line is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm and operates within the M25 area.

For further information on the lost dogs and cats line, visit www.dogshome.org