A CAT owner thought all her prayers had been answered when it appeared her much-loved pet had turned up three years after being stolen from her garden.

Radcliffe Tip reported a cat matching pedigree Wolfie’s description hanging around their depot. But before the owner could confirm the cat found was her long lost pedigree maine coon, it hitched a ride in a skip from the Cemetery Road Radcliffe site to Bolton.

She is desperate for news of the cat that has not been seen since fleeing the skip at the Raikes Lane depot.

The cat had jumped into the skip in Radcliffe, without the driver’s knowledge, and the first he knew of its hazardous journey was when it hopped out of the vehicle and headed under the fence at the rear of the site.

A spokesman for the Bolton site said the cat was “very lucky” to escape as seconds later it would have been dumped along with the contents of the skip.

Now the owner’s friend, Miss Emily Barrie, is hoping someone will have seen the grey cat in the area.

Miss Barrie’s friend, who did not want to be named as she has been plagued by malicious calls since Wolfie went missing, explained that the cat was just six months old when she disappeared.

“We believe she was stolen as maine coon cats are very valuable for breeding,” she explained.

But what the thief did not realise is that Wolfie had recently been neutered.

A substantial reward is being offered for Wolfie’s safe return.

“My friend is desperate to have her back,” said Miss Barrie who explained a photograph of the cat seen at Radcliffe showed it bore a striking resemblance to Wolfie and her distinctive markings.

“If it isn’t Wolfie we would still love to find this cat as it obviously belongs to someone. It was apparently a very friendly cat and I am very worried,” she said.

If anyone has any information about the cat please contact Animal Search UK at animalsearchuk.co.uk or Emily Barrie on Facebook.

They can also send her an email on ladymctavish@hotmail.co.uk.