Plymouth cat now in Scotland looking for his owner after mystery 500 mile trek

IF the Proclaimers were ever going to write another song involving 500 miles, they'd write it about poor Meatball.

Animal welfare charity Scottish SPCA has issued an appeal to reunite Meatball with his owner after the puss was found struggling to walk in Rosyth, Fife.

What has surprised the SPCA is that the two-year-old black and white male cat named Meatball is identity micro-chipped to an address in Plymouth.

Unfortunately there were no additional telephone details or name of the owner.

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Meatball was found on Valentine's Day with a wound on his tail and a severe injury to his back leg, possibly after being hit by a car. Sadly, his leg was so badly damaged it had to be amputated.

He's now adjusting to life on three limbs at the charity's Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre at Cardonald.

Animal Rescue Officer Robert Ward said: "Poor Meatball was in a bad way when he was found taking refuge in a shed at a property near Ferry Toll Road, Rosyth.

"As well as his obvious injuries he was also thin and matted so we think he has been straying for quite a while.

"It's highly likely that Meatball's owner has relocated to Scotland and lives nearby, but we can't rule out the possibility that he may have travelled from Plymouth to Rosyth by boat.

"We've sent a letter to the address in Plymouth which is registered on his micro-chip, but we also need to find out whether someone locally owns him.

"Meatball is a very affectionate and loving cat and we'd like to think someone is missing him.

"His owner may be shocked to find he has sadly lost a leg, but he's coping really well and there's no reason why he can't go on to live a full and active life."

Meatball is not the first cat to have made a legendary journey.

In 2009 The Herald reported on Samson who was found wandering the streets of Plymouth.

When his microchip was checked it was found the eight-year-old black and white moggy had come from Penicuik, near Edinburgh.

His Scots owner was stunned to learn that Samson, missing for a year, had travelled the length of the country.

It was suggested the moggy had hitched a ride on a lorry heading south shortly after vanishing from his home.

He was later found living as a stray and had suffered a head injury, possibly from a fight with a Plymouth puss. He was later reunited with his Scots family.

Earlier this year The Herald reported on Polly, the Plymouth tabby who was rescued from a high-speed inter-city train, having travelled an estimated 1,700 miles in just a few days.