Northumberland cat reunited with family nine weeks after fleeing A1 crash
A Northumberland family have been reunited with their cat nine weeks after going missing in the aftermath of a terrifying crash.
Back in August, Michelle Birbeck was travelling along the A1 near Alnwick with her family and her cat Friday to buy new cat boxes.
However, a driver heading the opposite way ended up in their lane and although Michelle swerved, the vehicle hit the back of the family’s car, causing them to end up in a hedge on the side of the road.
During the shock and panic, Friday managed to escape her harness and fled into the nearby fields.
"She was just so terrified and struggling so much, she broke both the clips on her harness and just bolted,” Michelle said.
"For the next few weeks, we put up missing cat posters and the team from the Alnwick Market came together one morning to search for her in the fields near the crash.
"We were basically searching for any sign of her – a collar, a body, if that's what we were going to find."
Michelle’s nine-year-old daughter, Emily, was in the back of the car with Friday during the accident and began to blame herself for the cat’s disappearance.
"It took her a while to open up but she eventually admitted she was blaming herself,” Michelle added.
"It's none of our faults. We didn't crash the car. Somebody crashed into us. No one could be prepared for that situation.”
In a miraculous turn of events, nine weeks after the crash, somebody phoned Michelle to say they believed Friday was in their back garden.
"We drove to the house straight away to check it was her and as soon as we said hello, she started meowing from the bathroom,” Michelle said.
"They opened the bathroom door and she was sat on the windowsill. I was just like, it's actually her. I bundled her into my arms and cried."
Emily was ecstatic to have Friday home safely – and so was Friday’s kitten Bean who had been crying ever since she went missing.
"As Emily came downstairs, Friday in the cat box meowed and Emily just burst into tears,” Michelle added.
"I have to give my thanks to Tracy at the Alnwick Market. She was an absolute rock star in getting Friday’s picture out there.”
Following her return, Friday was taken to the vets where, amazingly, they confirmed she was unharmed apart from a three-pound weight loss.