A cat which vanished without a trace in 2011 and mysteriously reappeared last week is to fly halfway across the US to rejoin the family who never stopped missing him.

Hemi was a kitten when Robert and Jennifer Connell discovered him curled up on their engine block in 2009 at their home in Havelock, North Carolina. When Mr Connell deployed with the Marines in 2011 and the family moved to Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, Hemi disappeared. The family moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, in 2013.

Last week, Hemi turned up at a North Carolina shelter, where the staff found his microchip and called Mrs Connell. A friend who works for an airline will fly to Bismarck with Hemi next week, the Connells said.

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