COULD this designer pet be the mystery beast spotted lurking in a Hampshire community?

His owner believes the large cat sighted roaming the streets and woodland of Valley Park may well be her snow leopard Bengal.

The £700 moggie Machui went missing from nearby Boyatt Wood, Eastleigh, eight months ago, just before the first sightings.

He also bears the same distinctive markings, has the large paws witnesses described and is bigger than a house cat.

Jill Downie, 34, said her family were devastated when the beloved pet went missing and contacted the RSPCA, animal shelters and vets but to no avail.

However, she got a glimmer of hope when she opened the Daily Echo to reports of a mysterious creature being caught prowling in nearby woods.

This newspaper exclusively revealed a number of people had seen a grey and white feline prowling in bushes and rummaging through bins.

The first to see it was legal secretary Dianne Moran, and last week Councillor Alan Dowden and his wife Celia encountered the cat, which witnesses estimated to be 4ft long and 2ft tall.

Jill said: “We had given up all hope of finding him and had the horrible thought of him turning up dead somewhere.

“However, this big cat sounds just like Chui as he has the distinctive features they described. These cats are bigger than normal domestic cats and can look very unusual to people if they are not expecting to see one.

“When he was here he loved his food and was getting quite portly.

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While he could have grown since he left he could also have lost weight if he hasn’t been able to get much food.”

Her pet refused to wear a collar and would rip them off within days of being fitted.

The Eastleigh housewife says the big feline can be identified by his brilliant blue eyes.

She added: “He was such a friendly cat that loves kids and being fussed over. He had a sweet nature and was family orientated. I can only speak for how he was when he was here. If he has been out there all alone and living wild he might be a nervous thing now.”

She said she would offer a reward for the return of the 18-month-old cat.