A TRAVELLING moggy set off to find its young owner and completed a 600-mile round trip before they were reunited.

Ceefor, a seven-year-old tabby, was pining for Todmorden High School student Katie Newbury, 11, who had gone on holiday so she hopped on to a furniture van from local factory Sutcliffe's in the hope of finding her.

Three days later she was discovered by the van driver 300 miles away -- when he arrived in Southampton!

The driver took the animal to a vet for safe-keeping as bosses tried to trace its owner.

Katie's mum Gillian, of Burnley Road, Cornholme, said: "We searched everywhere for Ceefor -- which means "C for" Cat -- and went out shaking cat biscuits but we couldn't find her anywhere.

"Then my boyfriend said he saw an advert in Sutcliffe's saying a grey cat with white markings had been found in Southampton. When I rang the vet's I knew it was Ceefor."

But although Ceefor had been traced the family was struggling to pay the vet's bill and to have her safely returned to Katie.

Petsafe, a company which provides a 24-hour national monitoring service to reunite lost cats and dogs with their owners, came to the rescue. A spokesman said: "We read about Katie's story and we decided to settle the vet's bill in full on the owner's behalf and provide transportation for the 300-mile trip to return Ceefor home.

"This story does now have a happy ending however it could have all gone horribly wrong.

Mother-of-five Gillian said: "Katie was crying when she got Ceefor back and I was so pleased for her I forgot to offer the courier's who returned her a cup of tea.

"Katie is deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other and Ceefor also had problems with her ears so they have always been very close.

"Katie said she no longer wanted anything for Christmas she had got the best present she could receive to have Ceefor back."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.