A LUCKY cat used up one of her nine lives when she survived a fall from her owner’s car at 65mph on a dual carriageway - after clinging on for four miles.

Joanne Smith, 34, from Basildon, was on her way to a funeral when she heard a thud and spotted something black tumbling behind her Vauxhall Astra.

The mum-of-one, who is six-months pregnant, was shocked when she saw the mystery object get to its feet - before realising it was her pet cat Bella.

She quickly pull over at side of the busy A127, in Basildon, and rang family members to come and help find the two-year-old moggy.

She said: “My friend’s dad had passed away and I was on my way to the funeral at about 3pm.

“The road was really busy and I had gone to the outside lane to overtake a lorry.

“Out of the corner of my eye I saw something black fall from the bottom of my car. I thought it was a plastic bag but then it rolled and rolled and got to its feet and I realised it was a cat.

“I pulled over and a few family members came to help me find her so we had to drive up and down trying to see where she had gone.

“Luckily she had just stayed in the central reservation and when I got to her she was shaking and meowing.

“My brother somehow stopped the traffic and I picked her up and took her to the vets.”

The moggy only had a little scratch on the back of her leg and all of her claws had been pulled out.

Ms Smith added: “She has definitely used up all of her nine lives, it is amazing there were no serious injuries.

“I do that drive all the time and she must have been hanging on for dear life.

“I don’t know where she would have been under the car, she has never done it before.

“Now I always make sure she is in the house before I go out and I won’t drive anywhere unless I know she is inside.”