A CAT has been reunited with his owners after being missing from home for an entire year.

Joyce and Al Daniels had not seen their beloved pet cat Billy for nearly 12 months, having last spotted him at their Glazebury home in June last year.

But Billy had secretly been taking shelter at nearby Bents Garden and Home the whole time.

Warrington Guardian:

Billy the cat with Bethany Wylie from Bents after being reunited with Joyce and Al Daniels

He had become a regular visit to the Warrington Road garden centre, with staff presuming he was 'just doing his daily rounds'.

However, as Billy began to make himself more at home – even helping himself to pet food in the warehouse – and his visits become longer, employees began to worry about the cat.

Veterinary workers in Bents' pet place scan him, when they realised he had been missing from home from nearly a year.

Billy's owners then came to collect their long-lost pet.

Joyce said: "Billy had always been a wanderer so at first we weren't worried when he went missing, but as so much time passed we came to terms with the fact that we might not see him again.

"We were over the moon when Bents called to let us know where he was – we only live around the corner and can’t believe he’s been so close all this time."

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Billy has now been reunited with his brother Bobby, and introduced to new arrivals Tilly and Tabatha – 10-week-old sisters who Joyce and Al recently adopted from the Cats Protection League.

Bethan Wylie, supervisor at Bents' pet place, added: "We were so shocked when we found out where Billy actually lived – it would've been great to reunite him with his family sooner, but we're delighted that he is back at home and with his brother.

"It sounds like he's a cat who likes to have adventures and will always be welcome back at Bents, but now we know where he lives we can make sure he always gets home."