The grey and white cat, named Reggie, went missing from his home on Fowl Ing Lane late on Thursday, September 4, after he managed to sneak outside while his owners were away.
His whereabouts for the next couple of days remain unclear.
Reggie during the night-time search when his family finally tracked him down at a farm (Image: Lisa Crawley) His owner Lisa Crawley said: "We had been in Northumberland for two nights on our first trip out of Kendal in over a year since moving from New Zealand.
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"We were due back Friday afternoon but Reggie had made a sneaky dash out the door late Thursday night, so the person looking after the cats had accidentally locked him out!
"When we got home around 4pm the next day we worked out pretty quickly that he wasn't in. We could also see that he'd tried to get back in as his fur was on all the windows, paw prints on all the windowsills, up some of the external cladding."
Lisa initially thought Reggie would have found shelter nearby and returned once it was quieter.
She asked a former neighbour to keep watch and it was they who later spotted the RSPCA appeal.
Back home at last - Reggie relaxes on the sofa after his dramatic ordeal. (Image: Lisa Crawley) As soon as the family saw the photo, they recognised him immediately.
Lisa said: "Unfortunately, it took a while to get information about the location and due to the big question of how he would've got to Asda?!
"And there were questions over collar colour, so were encouraged to leave it and wait to see if he came home overnight.
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"Fortunately, we trusted our instincts. We were given a ballpark area in a country lane off the A6 and went straight away with his favourite treats, my jersey he likes to sleep on and a cage."
Lisa described the situation as 'a needle in a haystack' as the family spent hours searching up and down the lane.
On their way home, they decided to stop once more near a farm and explained to the occupants why they were there. By chance, it was the woman who had first seen Reggie.
Reggie settles down on a chair, safe and sound after his unexpected adventure (Image: Lisa Crawley) She pointed them towards the direction he had run - and within ten minutes they heard him meowing.
"We were all beside ourselves, including Reggie, who wanted loads of pats.
"I put him in his cage and he settled right down. Safe."
Apart from being a little dirty and more hesitant to go outside, he was otherwise unharmed.
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Lisa said: "All his claws are worn down, a couple of his pads have minor cuts, he smelled like a mechanic for days and he's a bit dirty, but other than that, he's fine.
"It was a long way. We live on Fowl Ing Lane but the car had been nowhere near there - she'd stopped at Asda very briefly and Kendal. We wonder if he had got into another car?
Reggie had already travelled over from New Zealand before his second adventure (Image: Lia Crawley) "You do hear stories of cats getting into car engines, particularly as the weather changes but I mean, you never expect it to happen to yours.
"We brought him over from New Zealand - he'd been dumped as a kitten You'd have thought that moving from there was enough. No. He wanted more. Definitely the most travelled cat I know."
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The RSPCA advises you to check under your car and tap the bonnet to ensure no cats or other small animals are hiding in the engine bay before starting your engine - especially during cold weather when they seek warmth.