An elderly cat was reunited with the loving owner who never gave up hope of seeing her again after she disappeared 14 years ago.

Vivien Tarlton, 66, became the proud owner of her cat Charlotte after fostering her back in 2005.

The Maida Vale resident looked after Charlotte for five years until she went missing in 2010, just a month after giving birth to a litter of kittens.

More than a decade went by and Charlotte was still missing, but despite Viv’s heartbreak over her missing cat, she never lost hope.

“I never gave up on Charlotte. I really wanted to move away from where I lived but it felt like something was keeping me here.” Vivien said.

A picture of missing cat Charlotte in a frameA picture of missing cat Charlotte in a frame (Image: RSPCA)

In October, Vivien received a call that would change everything: the RSPCA had found Charlotte, her cat who had been missing for 14 years - and she had somehow crossed the Thames.

“I was completely gobsmacked and overwhelmed," said Vivien. "The fact that this nervous cat has survived all these years has blown me away.”

Charlotte was found miles from home in Elephant and Castle, where she had been fed by a resident who contacted the animal charity when the cat’s health took a turn for the worse.

RSPCA inspector Jade Guthrie collected Charlotte earlier this month and was able to track down Vivien after contacting the Mayhew Animal Welfare charity, which implanted her microchip many years ago.

Ms Guthrie said that when Charlotte was rescued she was in poor health, barely able to walk and she was suffering with a large clump of matted fur on her back.

“It looks like the cat was living feral for a long time and was “looked after” for many years by our caller who thought she was a stray. It was only recently that her health took a dip and when we got the call it was a surprise to find that she was microchipped,” said Guthrie.

Soon Charlotte was the centre of attention at Vivien’s home where she was able to spend time with her owner and her son Harley.

“I needed to know what happened to her and I’m so grateful to the lady who called the RSPCA. But I’m devastated as Charlotte was on this planet for 20 years, yet she was with me only for five years.” Vivien said.

Charlotte was a semi-feral cat who didn’t like being held or touched much, but since her reunion with Vivien, she seemed different. She loved cuddling and quickly settled in with most of Vivien’s other cats, remembering the layout of the room and her favorite spot in the sitting room.

Unfortunately, Vivien and Charlotte's heartwarming reunion would be tragically cut short, as Charlotte passed away just 16 days after returning home, after more than a decade apart from her owner.

Vivien was advised by her vet that the prognosis for Charlotte was poor and that the kindest course of action was to put her to sleep.

Happily, Vivien was able to shower her love on the missing moggy for the last two weeks of her life

“Charlotte seemed happy here. I knew I didn’t have much time with her, I was just hoping she’d stay alive until Christmas. The last 16 days have been the happiest in a long time.” Vivien said.

“I just hope my story provides hope to people to not give up when their dog or cat goes missing. I never would’ve dreamt Charlotte would have ended up all the way there. I hope my story encourages people to search in places even further away from their local boroughs and postcodes.”