A Scots owner was left stunned when she received an 'out of the blue' call saying her missing cat of over 17 years had been found.
Kim Collier was heartbroken when her cat Tilly vanished in 2004 after she relocated to Rosewell, Midlothian, from England.
The vet nurse desperately put up posters in a bid to find her moggy but gave up hope after months of searching for her.
But Kim couldn't believe it when an SSPCA officer phoned on Tuesday night to ask if she owned a cat named Tilly.
Speaking to the Daily Record, the 39-year-old said: "The SSPCA called me out the blue asking if I had a cat called Tilly and I was thinking 'I did but ages ago'. The officer said she had her in the back of the van and I was like 'what?'.
"It was a very odd feeling, I didn’t really know if I was coming or going. My world was turned upside down...but in a good way."
After 17 and a half years apart, Kim was finally reunited with Tilly at the vet the same night.
Kim, who now lives in Danderhall, was stunned to discover that her pet was found in the same area she disappeared from over a decade before.
Tilly was tracked down because Kim had continued to update her pet's microchip details - even after two house moves.
She said: "I didn’t think I’d ever see her again, I was just changing my microchip details for my other two pets and it was wishful thinking.
"I was completely shocked and stressed when I got the call, I was thinking about how I was going to look after three pets but she is my cat, so I’m not going to give up on her."
A concerned resident had alerted the SSPCA after spotting Tilly in the local area - and it was just in the nick of time.
Tilly, who turns 20 this year, is suffering from a bladder tumour and is reaching the end of her life.
She is now receiving palliative care at Pentland Veterinary Clinic, where Kim works.
Kim said: "All the staff here are so nice and have taken her under their wing. She's got jumpers to keep her warm and gets to come in the office, she's very spoiled.
"The main thing is she is safe and the vets here are giving her amazing care. We know the outcome is not great but I just want to make her comfortable."
Kim hopes she will be able to integrate Tilly with her two senior cats at home, where she can live out her final days.
The vet nurse, who has worked in the sector for 20 years, insists she's never heard of pets being reunited after such a long time.
She now wants to use her own incredible story to raise awareness over the importance of updating microchip details - even if all hope seems lost.
She said: "She was found in the place she went missing, I could have had her back 17 years ago if someone had phoned the SSPCA before now.
"The lady that found her had just moved here and found her covered in matt and she was skin and bone.
"Nobody in the community had realised that she was missing before.
"People think cats are just hanging around and wanting fed but if you see one looking lost or in a bad condition it's important to call it in."
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