A BELOVED family cat turned up at a vets 30 miles away from home after being missing for six months.

Diane Barkins, of Corringham, was reunited with her two-year-old Tabby cat Lily this month after assuming the worst last year.

The Barkins family knew Lily was an adventurous cat as she would regularly wander away from the family garden for hours at a time, while her timid twin sister Layla preferred to stay in sight of the family home.

On returning from a short holiday last summer, Diane could find no sign of Lily and began to get concerned for her welfare.

After four weeks of anguish and still no news, the whole family gave up hope of finding her alive and began the sad process of moving on.

Then, five months later and completely out of the blue, Diane took a call from a vet almost 30 miles away and was told the remarkable news.

Lily was alive and well, awaiting collection at Medivet Chafford Hundred. Thanks to a straight-forward microchip scan, Diane had quickly been identified as Lily’s owner.

Mrs Barkins said: “Lily is known for being a bit of a wanderer, and having owned both cats and dogs before, we did make sure both of our cats were microchipped and our contact details up-to-date.

“Thankfully, both sisters were microchipped by the Cat Rescue Centre at just four months old.

“Lily has settled back in really well under the watchful eye of her sister Layla – they were back to normal chasing each other around the house in no time at all.

“If there is one pledge we would urge all pet owners to make, it is to check that their pets are microchipped and the contact details are up to date.

“What happened to Lily proves that these microchips are the best thing ever.”

Karine Field, Lead Vet at Medivet Chafford Hundred, said: "Lily’s amazing story illustrates perfectly why we recommend having your pets microchipped.

“It’s a simple, quick and inexpensive procedure, in which a tiny device - no bigger than a grain of rice - is placed under the skin of your pet's neck.

“Each chip carries a unique identification number, with the owner’s contact details held on a secure database.”