Cat returns to Cambridgeshire home five years after disappearing
A black cat named Bindi has been reunited with her owner after vanishing from her Cambridgeshire home more than five years ago.
The 10-year-old feline disappeared from Haddenham in August 2020, leaving her family without answers for half a decade.
On December 18, Jilly Fretwell, a 29-year-old software project manager, received an unexpected telephone call from a veterinary practice informing her that Bindi had been brought in.
Ms Fretwell has described the timing of the reunion, just days before Christmas, as a “real Christmas miracle”.
A black cat named Bindi has been reunited with her owner after vanishing from her Cambridgeshire home (file photo)
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The cat had seemingly “vanished into thin air” before her remarkable reappearance.
The 29-year-old explained that Bindi typically ventured outdoors for brief periods before returning home, making her prolonged absence deeply concerning.
“It was really odd for her to be missing for more than a day,” she said.
The desperate owner launched appeals across social media platforms and spent months combing through local walking paths in search of her beloved pet.
The 10-year-old feline disappeared from Haddenham in August 2020
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“We really were left in the dark,” Ms Fretwell recalled.
By the following year, having relocated to a new property, she had abandoned any expectation of seeing Bindi again.
The family had resigned themselves to never discovering what had become of their cat.
The veterinary call came as a complete shock to Ms Fretwell, who struggled to accept the news until she saw Bindi with her own eyes.
The decade-old black cat appeared remarkably healthy after her extended absence (file photo)
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“We were just in complete disbelief,” she said.
“It wasn’t really until we saw her that we believed it was her.”
Apart from a few superficial scratches requiring veterinary attention, the decade-old cat appeared remarkably healthy after her extended absence.
Upon collection from the practice, Bindi immediately demonstrated that she remembered her family.
“She was instantly on our lap, giving us snuggles, and it was the best feeling,” Ms Fretwell told the BBC.
The mystery of where Bindi spent her five years away remains unsolved.
Ms Fretwell suspects the cat was taken in by someone in the local area, given her excellent physical condition.
“I think she’s been looked after by someone. She looks in great shape.”
“She’s potentially been inside, but I have no idea,” she said.
Describing Bindi’s personality, Ms Fretwell noted her exceptional warmth.
The 29-year-old said: “She is the most cuddly, affectionate cat I’ve ever met. She puts her paws on either of your shoulders to give you a real cuddle.”
The overjoyed owner expressed gratitude for having microchipped Bindi, crediting the technology with enabling their reunion.
