On November 7, a cat decided to flee in Caister - just a few steps from the vets.
It seemed as though Garfield had cottoned on to him being neutered, caving in his cage door before making a dash.
Over the intervening five months, the ginger feline’s owner, Kelly Hewett, 39, had been desperately trawling the streets of Caister in search of her furry friend.
However there is a happy ending after she was finally reunited with her beloved pet, ending months of worry.
Miss Hewett, of Jellicoe Road in Great Yarmouth, said: “Me and my partner have been walking around Caister for nearly half a year trying to find him. I don’t drive either so it has literally been a walk to Caister every time, or a bus. It has been a nightmare, an absolute nightmare.”
Having walked miles, stuck posters up around the village and shared appeals on Facebook, Miss Hewett was alerted to numerous stray ginger cats, but none of them were Garfield.
Miss Hewett added: “I was still hearing of sightings, and as long as there were sightings I was looking.”
Then one day, Miss Hewett heard that an elderly woman in Queens Way had been feeding Garfield.
The woman confirmed that she had been serving him breakfast and dinner for around two months and said she would call the next time he was back.
On April 9, more than five months on from slipping the snip, Miss Hewett got the call and she was reunited with Garfield at last.
Miss Hewett said: “I was so relieved that he was ok, and he is fatter than he was when he went. Plus the thought of not having to trek around Caister again is absolutely lovely.
“It was quite emotional to be honest - I never expected to find him. It was an amazing feeling and I’m amazed at him as well.”
Miss Hewett said Garfield received a “quite laid back” reception from her four dogs, but she is delighted to have him home for her 40th birthday.
She said: “The lost pets in Yarmouth and Lowestoft Facebook page has been absolutely amazing, the support has been unreal. For all those still looking, don’t give up.”
As for being neutered, the game is now up for Garfield, thanks to a brand new cage.
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