The story of Ariel the cat found struggling in the chill waters of Arbroath harbour has a happy ending, after she was reunited with her owner.
Ariel, or Cleo to give the 18-month-old moggy her true name, was spotted by workers after falling into Arbroath marina last week.
They rescued the shivering puss with a fishing net, as she desperately tried to clamber aboard a boat, and took her to the Petterden SPCA rescue centre, between Forfar and Dundee.
She was an instant hit with the staff, who affectionately called her Ariel after Disney’s Little Mermaid. Nevertheless, they were determined to return the cat to her owners and put out appeals for help.
Word got back to Cleo’s owner that a cat matching her description had been found and she called the rescue centre, where her hopes were realised.
Cleo lives in Forfar and had been missing for more than a month, as her owner Haylie Douglas, 19, explained.
She said: “I went to Edinburgh for a break and left Cleo with my gran in Arbroath. She lives about two seconds from the water, by the harbour.
“I suppose it was a strange place for her and she seems to have got out of the back door and away.
“I had a feeling that she might have jumped into the water, but nobody had seen her, or heard anything about her.
“I posted appeals on Facebook and phoned the Cats Protection League just in case she had been rescued. I did everything I could, but heard nothing.
“Then one of my friends tagged me on Facebook to let me know she had been found. It was on the SSPCA website. We were jumping for joy.”
At the weekend, Haylie showed photos to staff at Petterden that confirmed she was Cleo’s owner and the two were reunited.
Haylie said that she, her partner Alan, 32, and 12-month-old son Riley were all delighted to have their pet back home.