IT IS a purrfect ending to a heartwarming story.

An adventurous kitten, which managed to travel nearly 160 miles in 24 hours after jumping into a removals van, has finally been reunited with its grateful family. And it’s all thanks to the Oxford Mail, whose appeal for information about the missing moggie was spotted by her shocked owner Laura Bull.

Mittens, who is six months old, disappeared from her home in Wallingford on Monday after seeking shelter in a removals lorry parked near her house.

After leaving the town, the van went on to Carterton to deliver belongings – still with Mittens inside, unaware of her long journey ahead. The lorry then travelled 136 miles to the company’s base in East Harling, Norfolk, where she spent the night curled up in the back.

Drivers who found Mittens fast asleep in the morning started desperately trying to track down her owners.

Staff from the pet charity Feline Care Cat Rescue, based in East Harling, took in Mittens and put an appeal out on Facebook for her owners to come forward.

Following an appeal by the Oxford Mail on Tuesday, owner Laura Bull was tracked down within minutes and Mittens has now safely been returned. Mrs Bull, 24, who collected her pet yesterday morning with her husband and one-year-old son Eric, said: “I was shocked when I saw the story online – I just thought no way. 

“She has never gone missing before but she is quite adventurous. Mittens just went outside and I was out looking for her for ages asking the neighbours. Once we read the story online we phoned up the charity straight away.”

Feline Care Cat Rescue manager Molly Farrar said: “It is not very often you come across a situation like that, but we do see a lot of cats reunited with their owners by using their microchips.
“It was absolutely brilliant to track them down so quickly. 

“Massive thanks to the Oxford Mail as the owners found the cat through them.
“It looks like lots of their family and friends had recognised them and let them know.”

She added that although Mittens had been microchipped, her details had not been registered, meaning that the charity had not been able to track down her owners immediately.