TWO blind brothers are celebrating after their cat which is used as part of their therapy has returned home a month after he went missing.

Brothers Mikey De Freitas,11 and eight-year-old Rudy from Walmer Close, Romford were reunited with their blue point Persian cat Duke today (Thursday January 26) after he went missing in December.

The boy’s mum, Lesley De Freitas said: “We are all just so happy that he is back home where he belongs.

“The boys’ and my daughter just love him because he is so adorable and we felt like a child had gone missing but has now come back home.”

The cat, which is used by the boys, who were both born blind because of a genetic condition was returned to them on Thursday January 26 by their friend who was keeping him when he went missing in December.

The cat was given to her by a resident in Essex Road, Romford who spotted Duke when he came into her house through her cat trap and ate the food that she had left out for her own cat.

Lesley said: “We are all just absolutely delighted.

“Since he went missing we have all been crying like babies, everytime it snowed, rained or was really cold we would always sit at the window and worry at how Duke was coping but it feels that a long lost member of the family has returned.”

The brothers and their 14-year-old sister, Maya found out that their cat, had gone missing from their friend’s house when they returned from holiday just before Christmas.

The boys were distraught as the cat had been brought for them by their mum after adivce from the National blind children’s charity that it would help with their social skills and independence while they are on a waiting list for a guide dog.

The family had been putting posters up around the area in a bid to find Duke and they were also contacted by residents who also helped them to look for the cat.

Lesley said: “It just restores your faith in man kind.

“Everyone was so helpful in looking for Duke because they knew how much he meant to us and they were even talking about it on Facebook.”