Tails of death-defying felines miraculously escaping some tight squeezes have hit our headlines in recent weeks - so we have compiled a list of the county's luckiest cats.

Entries on this list prove the age-old adage that cats have nine lives may well be true - with one surviving a spin in a washing machine and another a journey in a car engine.

One kitty even came back from the dead and another went missing for two years after taking a trip on a cross-channel ferry.

1. Timmy the tom's engine adventure

Last week, we reported how Timmy escaped unscathed after taking a five-mile trip in a car's engine.

Driver Jane Butcher was only alerted to the three-and-a-half-year-old tom's plight when she smelt burning and pulled over.

A mechanic was called who had to unbolt the Kia Venga's air intake to free the tangled pet who was rushed to a local vets.

Remarkably Timmy, who previously went missing for five days only to turn up crammed in a neighbour's sofa, escaped unscathed and was soon reunited with owner Filipa Cunha in East Malling.

2. 999 call after Susie the kitten's entanglement

A day after Timmy’s adventure, black and white kitten Susie jumped down from a window sill and got her leg tangled and trapped in a clothes airer.

A call to the fire service in Deal saw caring crews rescue the young puss in a delicate untangling operation.

3. Marmie found safe and well after four-month search

Ginger moggy Marmie's disappearance from his home in Barming in July sparked a four-month high-profile search.

Much to owner Tracy Brewster's delight, he had been taken in by a couple 35 miles away in Surrey after they spotted him on wasteland.

Last week, jilted husband Jonathan Brewster was cleared of catnapping.

4. Lord of the Rinse: Gollum survives spin cycle

Soggy moggy Gollum got into a spin by climbing into a washing machine and making it through an entire 30-minute cycle.

Lauren Gavin, from Larkfield unloaded her washing and the eight-week-old kitten plopped out onto the kitchen floor.

Sandhole Veterinary Centre in Snodland drained fluid from the lungs of the pet.

5. French feline Poussey's cross-channel adventure

A French family whose cat went missing for two years were stunned to find the pet had arrived in Dover after travelling on the car deck of a ferry.

While the animal, nicknamed Poussey, was cared for, police left messages with officers in Le Harve, who eventually tracked down the owners.

6. Norman back from the dead

One family buried their ‘dead’ cat Norman and were stunned when he turned up for breakfast the next day.

Karen Jones, 48, and her brother Paul May, 45, were devastated when they discovered the black cat, believed to be two-year-old Norman, dead after being hit by a car, near Ashford.

After being buried with his favourite toy mouse, Norman casually strolled through the cat flap.