POLITICS is often a catty business but this week Stroud MP Neil Carmichael had a more pleasant encounter with a much-loved family feline.

Neil was delighted to be reunited with his pet cat Minouche, a seven-year-old blue Burmese, after it spent a six-night ordeal locked in a neighbour’s garage.

The family spent hours scouring for the missing moggy, posting flyers and distributing leaflets after it went missing from their home in Park End, Stroud, on Saturday, July 27.

Notices were also posted on social networking sites.

"We were very worried because she doesn’t normally stray very far," said Neil.

"I have always loved cats and this cat is a particularly loveable cat.

"Our neighbour was on holiday and when he returned he read the leaflet we had posted through the letterbox and found her locked in his garage.

"She was a bit distressed but she is very lucky and we are all very relieved.

"Everybody has resolved the issue and Minouche is very happy and pleased to be back home."