ANOTHER cat has been shot in Coventry, the RSPCA say.
It comes just weeks after the last attack in a nearby street which resulted in one pet having to have a leg amputated.
The animal welfare charity is urging local people to be vigilant and appealing for information.
Two-year-old Meg was shot with a pellet in the left side of her body, fracturing a rib, rupturing her diaphragm and bruising her lung.
She was targeted sometime between 8.30pm and 10pm on Monday May 22, and would have been near her home in Mayfield Road, Earlsdon, says the RSPCA.
It is still investigating the previous incident too, where a cat was shot near to her home in Stanway Road, on April 12.
RSPCA inspector Louise Marston said: “It is concerning that two cats living on streets next to each other have been targeted with an air rifle. It is clear that there is someone in this area who is deliberately targeting cats in such a horrific way.
“This is not acceptable behaviour and I am urging local people to be alert and to listen out for any gunshots or any suspicious activity. If anyone has any information which could help us in our investigations, please contact us in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018.”
Inspector Marston said that Meg is currently recovering from her ordeal. “Due to her injuries she is in a critical state, but fortunately she is healing well and is bright in herself,” she said. “She has been left in a lot of pain because of this and it has been very upsetting for her owners.
“Every year the RSPCA receives almost 1,000 calls to investigate cases and help hundreds of animals that are the defenceless victims of air gun attacks,” Inspector Marston 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.
“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 we would like and the injuries caused by such attacks are horrific and often fatal.
“We are supporting Cat’s Protection’s call for tighter controls on air weapons. This, along with better education and explanation of the law when buying an air gun could help relieve the problem.
“These weapons cause horrific pain and suffering and it is illegal. Anyone caught deliberately using an air gun to injure an animal can be up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine if found guilty under the Animal Welfare Act.”
The RSPCA is a charity and we rely on public donations to exist. To assist our inspectors in carrying out their vital work please text HELP to 78866 to give £3. (Texts cost £3 + one standard network rate message.)
