For countless families, a pet is much more than just an animal — they are a cherished member of the household, making it all the more devastating when something goes wrong. Sisters Lucy and Hannah Robertson were left “heartbroken” in 2016 when their three year old cat Charlie vanished without trace.

As a free-roaming outdoor cat, Charlie would spend her days exploring the streets near the family home in Wales. But, one day in April 2016 — shortly after the family had relocated to a new area — she simply failed to return. Determined to find their beloved companion, Lucy, then aged 20, and Hannah, then 27, turned to social media in a bid to track her down, appealing to anyone who may have spotted Charlie.

Suspecting she may have attempted to return to their former address, the family spent months scouring the area and asking neighbours for information, yet every lead drew a blank.

Lucy, now 30, recalled to WalesOnline: “When she went missing we searched for her for months and months and kept posting on Facebook but nobody came back to us. It was heartbreaking. We were scared that she had been knocked over or that she wasn’t around anymore.”

The last thing the family anticipated was receiving a call a full decade later confirming that Charlie had been found safe and well — and yet that is precisely what occurred.

On Wednesday, July 29, more than 10 years after her disappearance, the sisters received a call confirming the “impossible” — Charlie, now a 13 year old tabby, had been found.

A veterinary practice in Abercarn contacted Lucy and Hannah to inform them that a cat had been brought in and identified through her microchip as belonging to the sisters, who were astonished to discover it was actually Charlie.

A local resident had taken Charlie to the vets after discovering her living in nearby bushes and feeding the presumed stray for four weeks.

Reuniting with her cherished cat after 10 years, Lucy said: “She recognised us straight away which was lovely because we didn’t expect that. She doesn’t look much different at all, she looks exactly the same as the old photos we have of her. We’ve brought her back home to Newport where we live now.”

Hannah was equally in “disbelief” when the vets informed her of the news and cried when she was reunited with Charlie.