Cat goes on epic jaunt from Netherlands to Austria

Thursday February 16th 2017

A tortoise-shell cat caught the travelling bug and was found in Austria - almost 1,000 kilometres from her home in the Netherlands.

Austrian state broadcaster ORF reported that Pepper recently turned up in Aschbach-Markt, west of Vienna, having apparently secreted herself on a truck.

Pepper was spotted by a hunter, near a farm in a village, just outside of Vienna, ORF reported. After picking the purring puss up believing she was a stray, the hunter brought her to local veterinarian Katharina Zoechling.

Initially, the vet believed she was a half-feral farm cat, telling ORF that she was "angry, shy and scratched us".

However, an examination revealed that the well-travelled feline was actually microchipped, allowing Ms Zoechling to trace the owner and, through photos, establish that the cat was indeed hers.

Vets are now treating her for a lung infection.

Pepper's owner, a woman in the Netherlands, is now looking forward to a reunion - and is preparing to take the trip from her home in the town of Tilburg to the Austrian village of Aschbach-Markt, which is 950 kilometres (nearly 600 miles) away.

Copyright Press Association 2017