A CAT was returned to his “ecstatic” owner after he had been missing for a year and a half.

Eight-year-old black cat Spider was found in an enclosed back yard in Marine Parade, Brighton, where he is believed to have been for several days.

Spider had been missing for 18 months after he disappeared before his owner moved away.

A member of the public discovered the cat and reported him to the RSPCA who checked his microchip and managed to track his owner down to Bermondsey, London.

His owner was described as “ecstatic” after being reunited with his beloved pet.

The RSPCA says this incident is a reminder of the importance of getting your animals microchipped.

Another cat was also reunited with her owner thanks to a microchip after she was trapped in a padlocked garage for three weeks.

Honey, a one-year-old calico, was discovered underweight and distressed after a passerby heard her crying inside the garage in Caraway Close, Crawley.

She had become trapped after the garage’s owner installed a door on the property but was reunited after the vet checked her microchip.

Honey had been missing from mid February – around the same time the garage’s owner last visited his property and padlocked the door.

RSPCA inspector Liz Wheeler said: “These two cases show how important it is to get your cat microchipped, and keep those details updated.

“Poor Honey must have felt so anxious in that dark, windowless garage for all that time – she could have easily starved to death in there as it was used as storage space and not opened very often.

“She was unlucky to get stuck in there, but then very lucky a passerby heard her.

“She shot out at full speed when I opened the garage – it was a good job I had some food handy to entice her back to me.

“She was unhurt but pretty hungry, and skinny – I don’t think there was much food or water in there.

“Spider was not trapped for so long but was still incredibly nervous after being in that courtyard for a few days. We do not know what must have happened to him for the 18 months in between being found and reported missing – but the owner was ecstatic to find him again after so long.

“He was well fed, though, so I suspect he had been cared for by someone in the meantime.”

For more information about microchipping, ask your vet or visit rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/micro chipping