A much-loved "community cat" who has spent years greeting staff and visitors at Tauranga Hospital has been found safe after going missing earlier this week.

Steps, a 12-year-old tabby, affectionately known as the hospital's "patient support officer" disappeared on Monday night.

His plastic white house which was normally in the hospital's carpark was also gone, leading to members of a Facebook group, called Steps - The Tauranga Hospital Cat to launch a search.

On Wednesday, a Gate Pā resident made a post on a lost and found pets Facebook page asking if anyone recognised a small tabby with a white face with "a brown splodge" on its nose.

"Very friendly, very smart (broke in through my microchip cat door and slept on my bed).

"Definitely a pet and currently trying to adopt me as it's owner, my cat is not loving that idea," the resident said.

Karla Horn, the day-to-day caregiver of Steps, saw the post and was able to drive to the property and be reunited with the feline.

In a post to the social media page for Steps, Horn said she'd taken him home for some kai and she would bring him over to the hospital if he didn't want to sleep it off in bed.

"Tears of joy this morning everyone! You all are amazing sharing his story to get him found and returned!"