A BELOVED family pet who disappeared for 18 months is back at his home in Largs - after turning up 250 miles away.

The story of runaway moggy Felix had the 'purrfect' ending after he was handed into a rescue centre in Manchester over a year and half after he was reported missing.

Owner Marie Caughey had given up hope of Felix ever being found when she received a call from a rescue centre in Manchester only a few days before Christmas.

Whilst the mystery remains how the furry feline made the 250 mile journey, Marie is delighted to have her trusty companion back home.

Felix had been found in an abandoned property in Ashton and was handed into the Millstream Animal Shelter on December 20. They scanned his microchip and were directed to Marie.

She said: "I couldn't believe it, you could have knocked me down with a feather.

"I thought he was gone forever, it is a miracle that after all this time he has made his way back to me.

"I broke down with happiness when I got the call as I didn't think I would ever see him again.

"He is the most lovely wee cat and it means the world to me to have him home.

"He still remembers me and how we used to play together, he has just slotted right back in to my life like he was never away."

Prior to his disappearance Felix had always been a house cat however had started to have a desire to explore the outdoors.

Marie, who is confined to a wheelchair, allowed him to play in a friend's garden, but one day he got lost making his way home and vanished.

She added: "My sister drove me to Manchester.

"I will forever be grateful to the team that kept good care of him and who called me to let me know where he was.

"I took him straight to the vet and they said that while he had lost a bit of weight, he was fit and healthy.

"Christmas was complete having him back by my side."

A spokesperson for Millstream Rescue Centre said: "After phoning the microchip company, we managed to find out the details of the owner registered to the chip.

"A lot of the time, the details on a microchip aren't up to date so we didn't have high hopes that it would amount to much, however, much to our surprise, a lady answered the phone - and she was absolutely ecstatic that her cat had been found.

"If you can learn just one thing from this story with a happy ending, please make sure your animals are microchipped and that the details are up to date, as so many sadly aren't."