This was not a children's storybook tale, but life in St Kilda, Dunedin.
The usually inseparable pair, who were named after Jethro and Cheryl West from the Outrageous Fortune television programme, were separated for more than a week after Cheryl became trapped in a van.
Carpet Court contractor Kerry Bell found the 4-year-old ginger cat in the back of his van last Thursday and took her to the Otago SPCA.
When a story on the missing moggy appeared in the Otago Daily Times on Wednesday, a neighbour had immediately recognised Cheryl, owner Shelley Peters said last night.
"We noticed she was missing on Tuesday night last week and we thought she might be locked in somewhere, because she's usually a real homebody," Ms Peters said.
"Jethro was in such a state of depression when she was gone. He would just lie there with his head in his paws looking out the window for her.
"He was ecstatic when she turned up. He wouldn't stop licking her. She was soaking wet because he licked her to smithereens," she said.
"Cheryl's his best friend. Every night after dinner she gives him a wash and licks all the food off his face and whiskers. They sleep together and she even comes on walks with us, until another dog comes along, then she goes back home."
After picking Cheryl up from the Otago SPCA yesterday morning, Ms Peters went straight to Carpet Court to give Mr Bell a box of chocolates in gratitude.
"It was so nice of him to look after her like that," she said.
"It's also a good reminder to get cats, as well as dogs, micro-chipped. I've got Cheryl booked in to get micro-chipped on Monday."
