A cat which was missing for nine months has returned home after being found 25 miles away.

Baby, a two-year-old white tabby, went missing from her family’s home in Radcliffe on July 27 last year.

Her owner Anne Merritt, 32, received a call on Wednesday, April 18, saying that Baby had finally been found by a man in Warrington.

She said: “When I first got the call from my partner, we both thought it was some kind of scam and didn’t get our hopes up because we had done that so many times.

“We had always followed through with any sightings people told us, but they were never her."

The man who found Baby had spent three weeks earning her trust until he could get close enough for someone to scan her microchip, which confirmed the cat’s identity.

Anne posted about Baby every month she was missing on local Facebook groups, with hundreds of people offering help and potential sightings.

Bury Times: Posters were put up in the area to find missing cat BabyPosters were put up in the area to find missing cat Baby (Image: Supplied)

When she shared the miraculous news that Baby had been found on Facebook, her post amassed more than 600 likes and in excess of 150 comments of love and support.

She said: “I am so thankful to everyone who looked out and sent messages of sightings because I knew then people were still looking out for me.

“They kept me hopeful and made me keep going with their advice and hopeful stories.

“These are total strangers as well, this has given me faith in humanity again."

Despite the overwhelming support, the couple also had to contend with the callous aspect of some people during their desperate and difficult search.

“We had pranks along the way and my posters ripped down which is so evil when somebody is going through such a hard time," Anne said.

But Anne and her partner remained undeterred in their search, and with continued community support, hope remained for nearly nine months, with Baby finally being reunited with her family.

“When I first saw her, I was overjoyed and just so shocked that she was in front of me again”, Anne said.

She added: “I am so happy, and my heart is complete again.

“I will not be letting her out my sight again, she still has the same little cheeky personality and I’m just so glad we are back together.

“I knew that couldn't have been the end for us, she is my baby, and I would never give up until I knew what had happened.

“I'm so incredibly lucky.”

Kitty Rescue Bury worked with owner Anne to raise awareness of their beloved missing cat.

The volunteer non-profit organisation took to Facebook to announce that Baby had been found, saying: “The most amazing news today, Baby, a cat missing from Radcliffe was reunited nearly nine months and all the way in Warrington 25 miles from home.”

Kitty Rescue Bury highlighted the importance of microchipping pets, adding: “Baby looked a good weight so you wouldn’t have thought she was a typical missing cat.

“So it’s important to check on new cats even if they look okay.”

They expressed sentiments of thanks to the person who found Baby, the person who scanned her microchip, and all those who kept an eye out for her.