A CAT who went missing from her Binfield home for 12 years was finally reunited with her owners, just four weeks before she died from cancer.

Molly went missing in 2006 after her owners, Carly and Anthony Stears, went travelling for a year. They left Molly in the safe surroundings of Carly's parents home in Egham, Surrey, but she went missing soon afterwards.

Despite the family putting up posters, printing flyers and contacting local vets, Molly had disappeared without a trace.

Her devastated owners remained hopeful of seeing their beloved pet again, but after five years they cancelled her insurance, fearing the worst had happened.

However, 12 incredible years later Carly was contacted by a vets practice in Egham to say that a stray cat had been handed in, and the microchip had identified her as Molly.

Anthony said: "Carly was stunned and thrilled in equal measure. She rushed over to collect her and when I got home from work she told me to sit down as she had good news!

“Then she went off and brought in Molly. It was incredible, I couldn’t believe it. She was finally home after all these years.”

However, Molly was clearly not well, and vets at Moor Cottage, in Binfield, identified she was suffering from hyperthyroidism and cancer.

Anthony said: "Molly’s thyroid problem actually cleared up quite quickly, her coat improved and she was purring, eating and even jumping on the bed to see us every morning.

“The tumour was the big problem, though, as it was pressing on her nerve and started to affect the whole of her left side.

"Moor Cottage made sure those last few weeks were as special as they could be.

"They advised us to nurse her at home for as long as we could and try to enjoy those last moments with her. Amazingly she lasted another five days.

“We were both very upset when the end came, Carly still gets emotional about it now, but deep down we are so happy Molly came home at last.

"Some people were quite cynical, saying Molly wouldn’t have remembered us at all after all this time.

“I can guarantee she did, she knew exactly who we were and she was so loving and affectionate to us both, just like in the old days.”

Roberta Duncan, clinical director at Moor Cottage Veterinary Hospital, said: “This is an incredible story, both happy and sad, which had an impact on all of us here.

“We were all delighted to be able to help Molly so she could spend those last few weeks back at home with Carly and Anthony.”