'Christmas miracle' as missing cat returns to Suffolk home

Westley returned home on Christmas Day, after being missing for six months

A family said they received a "Christmas miracle" when their missing cat returned home after six months.

Westley, who disappeared in June, amazed his owners when he turned up on Christmas morning.

"It was a really lovely day for all of us. He's had a lot of treats," said Naomi Pierson, of East Bergholt, Suffolk.

Worried that Westley had been in an accident, the family could hardly believe he was unscathed.

Ms Pierson said: "He's quite an adventurous cat, but he would always come home.

"We thought he'd be back in a day or two, but weeks went by and he didn't return."

Westley has spent the last few days snuggled in the family's laps

During Westley's unplanned absence, Ms Pierson had to have difficult conversations with her children.

"We talked about 'Maybe he's found somewhere else; he might have died.' My daughter was most upset thinking 'He's gone somewhere else and forgotten about us.'"

Naomi Pierson said her nine-year-old daughter cried "tears of happiness" when Westley returned

Since his surprise return, the family, who have owned Westley for about two years since he was a kitten, have been making a big fuss of him.

Ms Pierson said: "He was very nervous at first and he spent the whole day snuggling us.

• Listen to Westley the East Bergholt Christmas miracle on BBC Sounds

"He seems very healthy and well-fed, so we feel he hasn't been stray for that time.

"We're quite worried that he has been in somebody else's house and they've kept him, which we find really sad because it's caused a lot of upset and we've missed him a lot."

They have now bought their adventurous companion a tracking collar.

So far, Westley has not wandered too far, which Ms Pierson said "is very reassuring".

"We definitely don't want it happening again," she added.