A beloved family pet has made a miraculous recovery after vets removed a large brain tumour.

David and Emma Finney-Young, from Fareham, found themselves deeply concerned when their domestic shorthair tuxedo cat, Max, displayed a sudden decline in health, becoming lethargic and disoriented.

Following a referral to Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester, an MRI scan revealed a large tumour on the left side of Max's brain.

Vets remove brain tumour, giving Max the cat a second chanceVets remove brain tumour, giving Max the cat a second chance (Image: Supplied) Emma said: "The news of Max’s diagnosis shocked us.

"We often refer to ourselves as ‘the three musketeers’ as he is such a beloved member of our family, so the prospect of him undergoing brain surgery was upsetting for us.

"Thankfully, the Anderson Moores team gave us full confidence his survival chances were high."

The challenging case was tackled by two of Anderson Moores’ European diplomates in neurology, Sinead Hamilton-Bennett and Miguel Benito Benito, with the assistance of a former final year resident in neurology, Jessica Zilli.

Sinead Hamilton-Bennett said: "Max came to us after 10 days of chronic, progressive lethargy, loss of balance, episodes of abnormal breathing and disorientation.

"We carried out an MRI scan which revealed a large mass on the left side of Max’s brain that was severely compressing the surrounding brain tissue.

"A type of benign brain tumour called a meningioma was suspected by our diagnostic imaging team, which is the most common brain tumour found in cats.

"Meningiomas are largely found in older cats.

"They are slow-growing and often solitary and, while they can cause neurological issues, many cats do well with surgical removal, offering a good-to-excellent prognosis.

"After discussion around treatment options with his owners, Max underwent brain surgery and we managed to remove the tumour safely."

Max was soon allowed home, with a grateful David adding: "Anderson Moores are complete lifesavers and have brought our family back together again.

"Max’s progress has been astonishing.

"Only three days after surgery he was trying to run up and down the stairs and has continued to improve since then.

"He is thriving, playful, eating and drinking well and, as of a few days ago, has been going outside under supervision."