TONY the cat is a few lives short of his usual nine today after surviving for THREE weeks trapped in a neighbour's garage.

Lizzie Parry

TONY the cat is a few lives short of his usual nine today after surviving for THREE weeks trapped in a neighbour's garage.

His owners Leanne Mendham and Marcus Bennett of Nelson Road had given up hope of ever being reunited with their beloved pet after he went missing on October 6.

But after their neighbours Catherine and Bernie Fosdike returned from a holiday in Spain and heard his desperate cries for help in their garage, they embarked on a day long search to find his owners.

And according to Mrs Fosdike, despite a vintage Rolls Royce being parked in the garage with its window open, Tony obviously knew quality when he saw it and didn't even go in the car for shelter or warmth.

Mr Fosdike heard the cat crying when they arrived home and then began a mission to find out who owned it before they dared let it out.

He first went to someone who lived across the road as they thought the cat may be theirs and then spotted the posters that Miss Mendham had put up. When they did not answer their phone or his knocks at the door he walked to a nearby vet surgery where he was told to try the RSPCA. He even put a message out on Radio Suffolk.

With all avenues proving unsuccessful Mr Fosdike, who loves cats, kept Tony inside until 6.30pm that night when Miss Mendham and her partner got the messages that their cat may have been found.

Mrs Fosdike said: “As soon as he heard her (Miss Mendham's ) voice he started crying again.

“We opened up the garage door expecting to see this frail little cat and he came out with his head high.

“He lost 7lbs when he was in there but apparently he was a big cat - God knows what he survived on.”

Mrs Fosdike said there had been some buckets of water left in there from when her husband had washed the cars so the cat had probably survived by drinking that.

Miss Mendham, 27 said she was so grateful to the couple for the lengths they went to, to get Tony home.

She said: “I can feel his ribs now poor thing, by accident my neighbour left a bucket of water in the garage, I really believe had it not been for that he wouldn't be here.

“We are so grateful. He is ok, back home with his sister Princess recuperating and settling back in.”