How did Smudge get down the A140?

A MYSTERY that would leave detective cartoon dog Scooby Doo scratching his head in disbelief has surrounded a veterinary practice in Ipswich.

Meet Smudge the cat. Feared dead by his owners when it went missing in Norwich over a month ago, Smudge somehow dodged traffic and avoided the perils of the countryside to find itself more than 40 miles away from home.

Romilly Ashdown, a vet at the Woodbridge Road, Ipswich branch of Ryder-Davies & Partners who made the discovery, had no idea how Smudge made the journey.

She said: “An RSPCA inspector was informed about a cat that had been abandoned in an alleyway. When she brought it into us at around noon, it was extremely hungry and thirsty, and also very skinny.

“During the standard inspection that we carry out on all abandoned animals we receive, I noticed it was chipped, rather than having a collar on.

“So when I phoned up to retrieve contact details, I could not believe it was from Norwich and had been missing for over a month!”

It is unknown how Smudge managed to complete this amazing journey, but Ms Ashdown believed he may have hitched a lift from a car or van heading for Ipswich.

But Ms Ashdown also had a serious warning for all domestic animal owners: “Many of the chipped cats and dogs received have the incorrect address and phone number attached, mainly because the owners have moved house. We urge all carers to ensure their family pet contains the correct information.”

Despite showing a keen sense of adventure, this particular white and tabby cat found a simpler way back home to Norwich - in a pet carrier in the back of a car!