Feline good: National Highways Traffic Officers reunite a mischievous moggy with his owners after an 11-day adventure!

Published

10 Jul 2024

After disappearing in a National Highways outstation in Northamptonshire for 11 days, Cosmic the Cat was reunited joyously with his owners.

Feline good: National Highways Traffic Officers reunite a mischievous moggy with his owners after an 11-day adventure!

Saroja and Patrick Noel were on their way from their home in Dagenham to the Lake District with daughters Indra (13) and Prabha (10) for a few days when they pulled into Watford Gap services for a break. They took one-year-old Cosmic out of his carrier and put him on a lead so he could stretch his legs and take a drink. But he successfully escaped into the National Highways Traffic Officer outstation on the other side of the car park.

Traffic Officers joined the search for the feline fugitive, but Cosmic was nowhere to be seen. After an hour, National Highways Team Manager Mick Tomlinson suggested the family continue their journey but leave Cosmic’s carrier and some food behind so he and his colleagues could continue their search efforts.

Prabha Noel (10) with Cosmic the Cat
Prabha Noel (10) with Cosmic the Cat

Mick said: “We have woods at the back of the outstation which must have felt like a playground for Cosmic. We were out looking, trying to entice him with food so we could build his trust and catch him but he was nowhere to be seen.

“With the M1, a river and a railway line in close proximity we were worried for him so we all joined the hunt over differing shifts with staff buying tins of food out of their own pockets.

“He appeared after four days, very hungry, but it took another week before we could get anywhere near him and were able to gain his trust. He eventually walked into the building where we’d put a bowl of food in his carrier this Tuesday. He walked right in so we quickly closed the door and rang the family to tell them the good news. It’s a great result for us. We all wanted to find him. If there’s a feline equivalent to dogged determination, this was it.”

The next evening, Mick drove Cosmic to Toddington Services to reunite him with his owners.

Saroja said: “We cannot believe we got him back. We are all so, so happy. What Mick did was wonderful. He was very patient and kept us updated every day. We cannot thank him enough. Cosmic is Prabha’s baby and she was so upset he’d managed to escape so to get Mick’s call saying he was safe was just amazing.

“Cosmic meowed all the way home. We can’t work out if he was telling us about his adventure or telling us off for leaving him behind!”

The purr-fect reunion! National Highways Team Manager Mick Tomlinson reunites Prabha (left) and Indra Noel with Cosmic
The purr-fect reunion! National Highways Team Manager Mick Tomlinson reunites Prabha (left) and Indra Noel with Cosmic
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