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One-Eyed Joe: A cat that went missing for five years and was found on a Scottish oil rig. Animals

A cat that has been missing for five years has reunited with its owner after being found on an offshore oil platform.

Workers at the oil rig contacted the Scottish SPCA on Thursday after finding the animal in a shipping container, originally from Peterhead.

On Friday, officials at the Scottish Animal Welfare Charity collected the cat with a microchip after it was flown back to the continent by helicopter.

The cat is believed to have lived homeless around Peterhead Jail in Aberdeenshire.

Commenting on the rescue, SPCA Animal Rescue Officer Amy Findley said she had “no idea how the cat ended up” in the container – but she was nicknamed One-Eyed Joe by prison officials who have been feeding him for five years.

She added: “After checking it for a microchip, it turns out that his real name is Dexter,” she said.

“We are so happy that he was well taken care of for the time he was missing, but we are even happier to be able to reunite him with his original owner, thanks to his current microchip.”

According to locals, the cat has chosen to sleep in prison, where his employees are “vain” and he is “very loved”.

The charity called on anyone who found an injured or distressed animal to contact its hotline on 03000 999 999.