AFTER six years of searching, the Kirkwood family had finally given up hope of ever seeing their beloved cat Sar Chi again.

So, imagine their surprise when they visited an adoption centre website to find a new pet, only to come face-to-face with the moggy they lost years ago.

Ian Kirkwood was browsing the Lewknor Blue Cross rescue centre’s website searching for a new cat when he came across the familiar mottled face staring out from the screen.

The father-of-two was so struck by the tabby cat’s similarity to his lost pet, he compared pictures and discovered the markings were identical.

When he called in the rest of the family he said they were also gobsmacked by the coincidence.

Mr Kirkwood, from Berrick Salome, near Wallingford, said: “Sar Chi went missing one Sunday night and never came home in the morning.

“My boys were really upset. We put up posters around the area where we live, but we never had any sightings of him.

“Recently a friend at work suggested I look to home a cat from Blue Cross, something I had not thought about doing.

“I was looking on the Blue Cross website and I saw this 10-year-old cat you would not usually look twice at, but it looked spookily like Sar Chi.

“We compared pictures side-by-side and it was more than just a likeness... it was the same cat.”

Mr Kirkwood immediately contacted the adoption centre in London Road and arranged a reunion with Sar Chi, who had been named Mr Darcy by centre staff.

He arrived at the centre at the beginning of September with no identification or microchip.

Centre manager Julie Stone said when staff saw the pictures, they agreed it must be the same cat.

She said: “His markings were virtually identical, apart from some ageing.

“This has been a wonderful happy ending for Sar Chi and the Kirkwood family and we are so pleased we were able to reunite them.

“We would urge owners always to microchip their pets – it can save a lot of heartache in the future.

Mr Kirkwood added: “We have no idea what he has been doing for the past six years, but it is great to see him again.

“The boys were over the moon and couldn’t wait to welcome him home.”

Sar Chi has now been microchipped so that if he goes missing again, he can be traced and returned to his owners.