RSPCA appeals for information after cat shot in face by air gun

A cat owner from Faversham in Kent has been left devastated after two of her cats have been shot in the face in one month.

The RSPCA is now appealing for information as the charity investigates what happened to these poor cats.

The first incident happened a few weeks ago and saw two-year-old Teddy shot in the eye with a pellet which resulted in him needing to have his eye removed. This latest incident happened on Wednesday (9 November) at around 2pm. One-year-old Tabby had been out for a couple of hours when she came back to her home in Cole Road, Faversham, with blood all over her face.

Her owner, Kerry Pearce, immediately took her to the vets where it was revealed that she had a pellet lodged in her nasal cavity. Vets managed to remove the pellet but due to the location of the injury, poor Tabby has been having difficulty breathing.

Kerry said: “It’s horrible to think someone could do something like this to any animal but our cats are a part of our family so it’s just devastating.”

Animal rescue officer (ARO) Lynn White is now investigating and appealing for anyone who heard or saw anything just after lunchtime on Wednesday in the Cole Road area, to please get in touch.

She said: “This was a callous and deliberate attack on two defenceless pet cats, and the fact that this is the second time this has happened in just a few weeks is extremely worrying. We believe these two cats never wandered far from their home so it must have happened in the local area. We’re now appealing for anyone who may have information about this to please contact us in strictest confidence.”

Every year the RSPCA receives almost 1,000 calls to investigate cases and help hundreds of animals that are the victims of air gun attacks.

Cats and wildlife are normally the animals that are more susceptible to these incidents simply because they are out in the open with no one to protect them. Unfortunately, air rifle attacks are not as rare as the charity would like. The injuries caused by such attacks are horrific and often fatal.

Lynn added: “It is very distressing to think that people take pleasure in causing such horrific injuries to defenceless animals. These are deliberate and brutal acts of cruelty. We are calling for tighter controls on air weapons. This, along with better education and explanation of the law when buying an air gun, and requirements that everyone must receive basic safety training before being allowed to walk out of the shop could help relieve the problem.”

Teddy is coping well with just one eye but Tabby has a long road to recovery ahead of her.

Their owner, Kerry, said: “She’s struggling to breathe, she’s barely eaten, and she wants to go back outside but I don’t want any of my cats out now. It doesn’t feel safe for them, or for my family.”

Kerry rescued her cats as they were living as strays and the mum had recently had a litter of kittens.

She said: “Teddy basically lived outside as a kitten before he came to live with me so he wasn’t very socialised with people. He’s a very nervous cat and won’t go up to people at all, so he must have been shot from a distance. The same goes for Tabby, although she is more confident, she doesn’t tend to get too close to people she doesn’t know. I know they are both lucky to have survived but it’s just an awful thing to have happened to them and I’m sure it will make them even more nervous around people now.”

If you have any information which may help this investigation, please contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website or call our donation line on 0300 123 8181.