IT WAS an incredible journey – a cat has been reunited with its family three months after going missing and travelling more than 225 miles from his home in Bradford.

Seven-year-old Binks, a domestic shorthair ginger cat, was believed to be a stray when he was taken to GP Vets Basingstoke and Tadley by Steve Nunn, from Newbury, who had been feeding the cat.

Astonishingly when the vets scanned his microchip they tracked down his owners, the Porter family, to their home in Queensbury, Bradford.

Binks' mum Jemma, 31, husband Damian and two-year-old daughter Imogen, had given up hope they would ever be reunited with their pet as he had been missing for three months.

But when the call came from the veterinary surgery, in West Street, Tadley, Jemma couldn't believe it.

"It was a bit of a shock," said Jemma, who also has a seven-year-old black cat called Gracie and a cocker spaniel named Luna.

"I picked up the call and they asked me if I had a ginger cat and I said yes, so they asked me to come and pick it up.

"When they said they were in Tadley, I asked where on earth that was and they said near the New Forest.

"I couldn't stop laughing - it's like a 10 hour round trip to get there and when I said I lived in Bradford, we both started laughing."

Jemma arranged for Binks to be transported to Bradford by a pet courier.

She is convinced Binks must have got in to a van because "he is always trying to get into the back of the car" or had been staying with another family who may have moved down south and brought him with them.

A delighted Jemma added: "My little girl is only two, but when I told her that pussy was home, she started squealing.

"Our other cat did a double take when Binks returned, then looked him up and down, and our dog just gave a look to say ‘oh you're back then’.

"He's no spring chicken Binks, but he does like to wander - I think we might have to get him a cat cam so we can see what he actually gets up to when he's on his travels.

"It's a testament to the power of the microchip that we got our Binks back, so I would encourage all pet owners to keep their details up to date because you see things on social media all the time about cats with no details, and no home."

This story highlights the significance of microchipping and comes during National Microchip Month - a month-long campaign urging pet owners to have their animals microchipped.

In April 2016, it was compulsory for all dog owners to have their dogs microchipped in England.

Karol Wall, marketing manager at GP Vets Basingstoke and Tadley, said: "When we found him, he had obviously been through the wars because he was very thin.

"It's very unusual for pets to travel that distance and when you hear a story like this, it only comes through once in a blue moon.

"We were absolutely thrilled to reunite Binks with his young family and this just shows how important microchipping is.

"It is vital and just shows that owners who lose their pets, there is hope in finding them."