AN adventurous cat which wound up 75 miles from home has been reunited with its owner.

Bella the cat, who is only six months old, went missing from her home in Richmond, London, at the end of January, and her owner Lydie Tremayne says she had almost given up hope after 48 hours had passed and she still had not returned.

“I was convinced that was it,” she said. “I felt devastated for two days.”

Adding to Lydie and her family’s worries was their other cat Soco, Bella’s brother, had been found late on that Monday night with a broken leg, which required surgery.

But, 75 miles from where she had gone missing, Bella wandered into a house in Bulford on the Wednesday evening.

She was brought into Vets4Pets in Amesbury, where a microchip scan was carried out and it was discovered that she was registered to an address in London.

It is a mystery as to how Bella came to be so far away from home.

Lydie added: “I have no idea [how she came to be in Wiltshire], I think she must have got into a van or car.”

Describing receiving the call from the veterinary surgery, she said: “I cried, I was so happy. Once it registered who I was speaking to and that it was a vet in Wiltshire, I thought ‘oh my God, what?’ “It’s incredible. She is very adventurous.”

Since Bella’s adventure to Wiltshire, Lydie said: “She’s fine and so happy. It took her 24 hours to get back to normal.

She is her usual self – happy, friendly and lively. She still wants to go out a lot.”

Lydie wants to encourage pet owners to ensure they have their animals microchipped, which can help in reuniting them with their owners if they become lost.

She has thanked the person who found Bella and the staff at Vets4Pets in Amesbury who took care of her.

”I feel very lucky [to have her back].”said Lydie.

Veterinary nurse Joanna Woolley, of Amesbury Vets4Pets, said: “We believe microchipping is an essential component of cat welfare as it not only provides a permanent method of identification but is also vital in reuniting them with owners should they ever get injured or lost.

"It is also essential owners keep their microchip details up-to-date if they move or their phone number changes so pets can be reunited as quickly as possible.”

She added: "If you think you have found a lost cat it is important to know that many cats have large territories around their home so check with local neighbours first to see if they recognise the cat. If you have no success you can take the cat to your local vets to be scanned for a microchip.

"If you have lost your cat it is important to let local veterinary practices know in case your cat is brought in. Social media is also proving very beneficial in the finding of lost pets nowadays, however nothing is as reliable as microchipping."