Sixth sense leads cat to strange new home

Jessiqua (left) and Monique Edwards-Shipton with their cat Tuppence. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

If only animals could talk, Tuppence the tabby cat would have quite a story to tell.

A Tauranga family are over the moon that their "fur baby" is home after being missing for six weeks.

While that's a commonly heard story, the remarkable thing about Tuppence is that while she was missing, her family moved more than 9km, from Greerton to Bethlehem.

No one knows how, but Tuppence - who had never been to the new house - mysteriously turned up at their Bethlehem Rd home on Tuesday night.

Monique Edwards-Shipton was watching television when she was told to look outside. She was stunned to see a bedraggled Tuppence walking down the driveway with the family's other cat, black-and-white-spotted Madison.

While Tuppence had been "quite fat" before she disappeared, she was now extremely skinny, and had a dull coat and roughened paw pads.

Mrs Edwards-Shipton described the cat as "my heart and soul".

"She came running over. We brought her in and I gave her a bit of a snuggle," Mrs Edwards-Shipton said.

The family had been devastated when the 6-year-old cat disappeared on September 24, the day they were moving house.

Mrs Edwards-Shipton returned to the Mitchell St house every day in search of the beloved pet, knocked on neighbours' doors and posted flyers. She contacted the SPCA and placed lost-cat advertisements. But no one had any news of Tuppence.

Over the six weeks, the family's hopes dwindled, but Mrs Edwards-Shipton continued her search.

"It was awful, really awful."

Now, Tuppence's mysterious return has left the family overjoyed.

Mrs Edwards-Shipton said there were "lots of tears" shed, and 10-year-old daughter Jessiqua was woken from bed to join in the celebrations.

A happy Tuppence, fed on sirloin steak for breakfast, spent her first night at home purring loudly.

"I didn't get much sleep, but it's agood no-sleep," Mrs Edwards-Shipton said.

As for the mystery of how Tuppence found her way back to her family in a new suburb, Mrs Edwards-Shipton has no idea.

"It's just crazy."