A MUM of three was ‘absolutely gobsmacked’ after receiving a call that her cat had been found after a month of being missing.

Samantha Whessell was diagnosed with advanced melanoma in 2022.

Sapphire, Samantha’s seven-year-old daughter, took the news of her mum's diagnosis hard.

(Image: Samantha Whessell)

As a means of support, Sapphire was given a ragdoll kitten, Albus.

Speaking of the bond between her daughter and Albus, Samantha said: “My daughter Sapphire had been begging for a new friend to support her through a very tough time for a little one, so, we got her a special little friend Albus.  

“They became inseparable and soon enough the smiles returned.  Sapphire and Albus are the best of friends, and he never ventures beyond our garden.”

On May 31 this year, Albus went missing from their home in Dorset.

Samantha said: “He would never, ever leave our garden because we live in a cul-de-sac.

(Image: Samantha Whessell)

“The day before his second birthday, he vanished, we were absolutely gobsmacked.

“We looked everywhere, called all the vets, and exhausted social media, days turned into weeks but we never gave up.

"My daughter was crying for days, she was heartbroken.

“How do you fix a seven-year-old's broken heart?”

Exactly four weeks and two days later, Sapphire was reunited with her best friend after a call from a cat charity.  

Samantha added: “We nearly lost hope, then suddenly we had a call from a lady at Cats Protection League who had found him in Christchurch, we were over the moon.

“She sent me two pictures and I went, jeez, that's him, I couldn't believe it. He was very underweight and was treated by vets for fleas.

 “We live in Southbourne, clearly Albus had got inside someone’s vehicle and lost the scent of home because of the river in between."

Since Albus’ adventure, Samantha wants to urge other owners to microchip their pets, she added: “It’s really important to microchip your cats and to check that it's registered as well.

“Never give up hope that your best friends will return.”