A wayward cat who returned to his owner after a mysterious two-year adventure has disappeared for a second time.
John Cuthbert was delighted to be reunited with his “best pal” Jess last month, two-and-a-half years after he disappeared from his North Muirton flat.
Just days after coming home the feline fled for a second time, leavingMr Cuthbert “distraught”.
He feared the worst after Jess fled from his Perth flat during a storm in December 2011 and never returned.
Despite searching high and low for his beloved pet, Mr Cuthbert was unable to find him and in the end gave up hope.
Then just three weeks ago, his sister chanced upon a post on social media of a black-and-white cat that had been spotted wandering around North Muirton, just 150 yards from where Jess went missing.
Though dishevelled and matted, Mr Cuthbert instantly recognised his pet.
He said: “Someone posted a photo of this scruffy-looking little black furball in North Muirton. My sister saw it and thought it looked familiar, so she showed it to me and I thought it sort of looked like Jess.
“I couldn’t initially tell if it was him, but he has very distinctive markings. He was in a wee bit of a state his fur had started to fall off because it was all matted.”
After resisting all attempts at capture, the elusive cat was eventually lured into a humane trap and it was thought his wandering days were over.
It seems Jess was able to survive on scraps left out by other cat owners in the area.
The three-year-old cat was recovering from his ordeal at Mr Cuthbert’s new home in Bridge of Earn but after being allowed out he has failed to return again.
Mr Cuthbert said: “We now have not seen Jess since Sunday night, he seems to have taken to wandering again. We are all a bit distraught again and had to advise (Facebook page)Missing Pets that he is again missing.”
Anyone who spots Jess can contact Mr Cuthbert through the Missing Pets (Perth and Kinross Scotland) Facebook page.