A CAT gave her owner the best Christmas present — turning up out of the blue after going missing nine months ago.

Jess the black and white cat disappeared from Gemma Clarke and Marc Robson’s new home in Balderstone in March.

But a chance conversation in a Mellor pub meant Jess was reunited with her owners just in time for the festive celebrations.

Gemma, 32, had received the cat as a birthday present two years earlier. But when she moved from Gillibrands South, Chorley, in February to her Balderstone with boyfriend Marc, 35, the cat took off.

Gemma, who works for Blackburn with Darwen Council’s children’s services, said: “Jess wasn’t used to the new area. It was very rural and we were surrounded by fields.

“We searched everywhere, went round all the farms and put signs up, but we couldn’t find her anywhere.

“Then we moved again to Whalley New Road in Brownhill and just thought that was it.”

However, on December 16, Marc - who is from Lower Darwen - got a phone call from his dad Tony.

Tony was in the Bay Horse in Mellor and had got chatting to a regular, who was telling the story of a cat he had started feeding after it turned up near the pub - 25 minutes walk away from their former Balderstone home.

Gemma said: “Marc’s dad rang and said ‘Is your cat still missing?’ “He told us the story of this man and asked us to give him a description. Jess has a distinctive face, like a Batman mask with a black top and white bottom and four white paws.

“Then we went to the house to check. I had got it into my head that there was no chance it was Jess, but we heard her familiar cry. When Marc opened the kitchen door and called her name she came running.

“I was over the moon. It was such a chance conversation. It is just like getting a Christmas present. Jess has got a real sense of occasion.”

Gemma said it was now like she had never been away: "Jess is completely back to normal, constantly wants attention and follows us around all the time.

“I got her lots of Christmas teats and Marc’s just glad to see me happy.

”Of course I bought his dad a pint to thank him too.”