AN AMAZING coincidence has put an end to weeks of searching for a hitchhiking cat.

Tigger, a lucky six-year-old puss, has been reunited with his owners, Lowton's Waywell family, thanks to a stroke of good luck.

And the story is a cautionary tale to all owners to have their pets microchipped. Despite being tagged, Tigger, who has a fascination for garages and cars, failed to find his way home after accidentally taking a lift to Liverpool, 25 miles away, in March.

After being picked up he was routinely scanned by an animal organisation in the city. Information revealed that he had originally been microchipped and rehomed by the Cats Protection League in Warrington.

It should have only taken a couple of routine calls to get Tigger safely back home, but things didn't prove that simple.

Shelter manager Lisa Boote found it hard to trace his new owners as he hadn't been scanned before being rehomed. That meant that five years on the poor cat was back looking for a new owner.

Meanwhile Carole Waywell, husband Steve, and sons Christopher, 14, and Michael,12, of Springmount, were finding home empty after a fruitless month long search to find Tigger. They decided to get a kitten to replace the void left by his absence and set off to visit animal rescue centres.

A shortage of kittens resulted in a trip to the WPL Warrington shelter -- and there was Tigger in one of the pens!

Carole said: "We feel there is an amazing feeling of fate surrounding Tigger's return. We are so happy to have him back after giving up hope.

"If one of the centres we visited had had a kitten we wouldn't have got to Warrington. I was reticent about driving there anyway as the road was flooded.

"His transfer there three weeks ago from the RSPCA and not being rehomed in that time is further proof that we were meant to find each other again. He's none the worse for his experience."

The Waywells have now registered Tigger with Petlog, so in the event of any further hitching the chances of a swift reunion will be increased.

Debbie Pearce, from the Cats Protection League, said: "Microchipping can only be fully effective when owners' details are kept current. All rescue organisations must let new owners know that their pet has been chipped prior to rehoming it."