A HIGHAMPTON family are desperately trying to find out what happened to their four cats which have disappeared one by one over the last 17 months.

Although she lives on a smallholding of ten acres, Sue Salisbury said her cats were not farm cats but home living creatures who did not venture too far from the house.

'They sleep on the bed and are always there for their food in the morning,' she said.

'We have had them since they were kittens with the youngest Willow, seven, and Poppy, the eldest, at ten or eleven.'

The owner is offering a reward to anyone who has proof of exactly what happened to her pets.

Smudge, a charcoal and white long haired cat, was the first to go missing in May 2009 and Mrs Salisbury, who lives with her daughter, her daughter's partner and grandson, said she put posters up and asked around but nobody seemed to know anything.

'When the second one Sooty, who is black and white, went missing we could not believe it because she had a limp and a damaged eye after being in an accident and only ever went outside to go to the toilet and perhaps for a little wander.'

Mrs Salisbury said the only cat that she thought may have wandered off for a bit longer than the rest was Poppy, a white and tortoiseshell cat, but she had been missing for three months now. The last to go missing was Willow, another black and white cat, two weeks ago.

'We live in hope that they might return, but as time goes on hope becomes less. My grandson is only four years old and is devastated. We have dogs but it is not the same.'

The local vets as far as Bude have been contacted, so too have the Cats Protection League and the RSPCA.

Mrs Salisbury said she was reluctant to get any more cats because they may suffer the same fate.

'No-one can understand why all four cats have disappeared. They are fed twice a day and are cuddly cats that live in, so just to wander off and never come back is not in their nature.

'We do see foxes around here but are told that foxes do not attack cats. I would ask anyone who knows anything, good or bad to get in touch.

'If they have found loveable homes, I will be happy to leave them settled. I just want to know they are okay.'

If anyone has information about the disappearance of the four cats from Hope Farm they should call Mrs Salisbury on 01409 231191.