A cat had to have its leg amputated after being shot with an air rifle in Carlton.
The RSCPA is investigating after Phoebe, a six-year-old ginger-and-white cat, was shot near to her home on Glebe Road.
She was taken to a vet, where X-rays showed that the pellet had shattered her front left leg so severely that it needed to be removed.
Phoebe’s owner, Tina Humphreys, 39, said the family first noticed something was wrong on the morning of Sunday June 29 after Phoebe came home under the weather.
“I managed to get her out from under my daughter’s bed, and the first thing I noticed was that her left front paw was limp,” Tina said.
“We got her to a vets straight away, and they said that she had broken her leg.
“We thought initially that she had been in a fight, but then as they were shaving her fur away they could see a small hole in the skin where the pellet had gone in.
“An X-ray showed that the pellet had shattered her whole leg and the vet said the best thing for her would be to amputate the leg as the damage was that bad.”
Phoebe had the amputation surgery on Wednesday – the surgery was a success but Tina said the incident had left her “sick to the stomach”
She added: “She is back home now and the vets are really pleased with her progress, but she is in such a sorry state. The vet said that she is very lucky because if the pellet had gone in at another angle then she might not have survived.
“I just have to keep thinking to myself that she has lost her leg but at least she has not lost her life.”
RSPCA inspector Dave McAdam, who is investigating, said: “This is a very distressing case for both Phoebe and her family and it has caused a lot of heartache.
“We are pleased that Phoebe is making progress, however she should not have been put in this position in the first place. It is likely that this was a deliberate act and we are urging anyone with any information to contact us.”
Anyone who can help is asked to contact the RSPCA on us in confidence on 0300 123 8018.
