General Bernard ‘Monty’ Montgomery was known for his legendary expeditions across North Africa and Europe.
He marched through deserts, crossed rivers and even snow-covered forests during the Battle of the Bulge.
Whether or not his namesake, Monty the ginger cat, undertook any such gruelling trips is not known.
But his owners who live in Arborfield are just delighted to have their beloved family pet back home – TWO years after he went missing.
Relieved Lydia Butler thought she and son, Aaron, would never see Monty again after he snuck out of their house and disappeared.
“We had only just moved to our new home, and despite keeping him indoors, Monty got out through a small gap and must have become disorientated,” she explained.
“We were devastated and searched the streets, putting up posters and delivering fliers, but there was no sign of Monty at all. Aaron took it particularly badly, as they were very close. All the time he was gone, Aaron never stopped talking about Monty.
“Eventually, and with a heavy heart, we came to the conclusion he had probably died in a road accident.”
What happened to Monty, now four, during the past two years or where he lived is a mystery.
But Lydia and Aaron were delighted when they had a call from the Cats Protection’s Bracknell & Wokingham Districts Branch, to say he had been found just three miles away in a garden in Farley Hill.
“We were absolutely over the moon when they phoned to say he’d been found.
“We brought him home, and he recognised Aaron straight away. They’ve been pretty inseparable ever since.”
Lydia added that the family have no idea where Monty could have been while he was missing, but that he seemed in good condition when he was found.
The happy reunion comes as Cats Protection renewed calls for a change in the law to ensure that all owned cats, like dogs, are microchipped.
Jacqui Cuff, Cats Protection’s Head of Advocacy & Government Relations said: “It’s always lovely to hear of stories where cats have been reunited with their owners, but most of these happy endings are only possible if a cat has been microchipped.
“Microchipping is an essential part of responsible pet ownership, and is already compulsory for dogs. This should now be extended to ensure all owned cats are microchipped, giving the same level of protection to keep them safe and protected.”
