Sickening air gun attacks on pet cats

Cheryl Williams and Tia, whose leg was amputated after she was shot

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Two pet cats have been shot with pellet guns - and one was so badly injuired it had to have a leg amputated.

Cheryl Williams, of Rosewood Crescent, Chadderton, has been left distraught following the injuries to her two tortortoiseshell cats, Mesha and Tia, six weeks apart.

Mesha, the older of the pair at 20 months, was hit by a pellet that injured her mouth and body. Two pellets were removed by a vet.

Earlier this month Cheryl was horrified to see eight-month-old Tia was struggling to get into the house and that her hind leg had a pellet wound. A vet later amputated the badly-damaged limb.

“They don’t spend a lot of time out now, I’m looking out for them, making sure they’re OK,” said Cheryl.

“I like to get them in before dark because you don’t know who’s about. It’s left me absolutely devastated.”

Cheryl is appealing to people in the neighbourhood who may know who the culprits are.

“It could be kids, it could be anybody,” Cheryl added. “If they’ve done it to my cats they’re capable of doing it to a person. These guns are not for playing with.”


IN a separate incident, a rescue cat has lost an eye after being shot with an air rifle.

Shocked owner Sue Napier of Uppermill said her one-year-old cat Thimble came indoors in distress, with a bleeding eye.

A vet found Thimble had a pellet lodged in her left eye and amputated the eye.

“Thimble was in so much pain when she came in, her eye was swollen and bleeding. When it’s your pet it’s dreadful. It could have been an accident or somebody taking pot shots.”

Vet Ian McConnell said: “It could have been fatal if the pellet had penetrated further. Thimble should make a full recovery, but it was a terrible incident. People need to be vigilant.”