A cat owner is celebrating after her beloved pet which had disappeared in Tenterden was found early Monday.

Sox, an 11-year-old grey, British shorthair cat, returned home at 3.50am.

Owner Samantha Burr, 27, said it had been “completely out of character” for Sox to go missing.

The owner of Paw Prints who lives in Shrubcote appealed for the community to look for Sox, who needs medication for a suspected thyroid problem and has been very ill in the last few weeks.

A tearful Samantha said: “Sox has spent lots of time as an indoor cat and rarely wanders far from home.”

She alerted vets in the area and put posters up around town in a desperate bid to find her cat.

Samantha, whose business involves dog walking and training as well as cat care, said she was up most of the night looking for her pet.

She said: “I’ve had Sox since I was an animal welfare assistant and it's really upsetting that when I call her name she's not by my side as usual."