Rescue cat shot with an air gun (From Warrington Guardian)

Rescue cat shot with an air gun

8:30am Sunday 18th March 2012 in News By Matthew Hobbs

A CAT was left with a bullet lodged in its tail for a week after it was shot in Padgate.

Alison Stokes, of Rylands Drive, owns two-year-old rescue cat Jackson.

He had an operation last week to remove the pellet.

She said: “Our lovely little cat has gone through so much unnecessary pain and it has left him frightened of people and very nervous.

“The vet said he was very lucky that his tail didn’t have to be amputated.

“We live in an area that has lots of pets and children. Whoever was using an air rifle in such a built up area really needs stopping.”

The mum-of-two first knew something was wrong when Jackson returned home on February 29 with a wound to his tail.

He was taken to Rees Veterinary Centre, on Orford Avenue, where Alison was told her pet may have been bitten. Antibiotics were prescribed.

After the wound became swollen the 37-year-old mum-of-two took Jackson back for a second appointment.

“The vet said the only time they’ve seen that (the swelling) is when a cat has been shot with an airgun,” she added.

Suspicions were confirmed when an X-ray revealed the pellet lodged in his tail.

Diane Wilshaw, clinical director of the centre, carried out the operation.

She said: “It’s probably better that it hit his tail rather than a body cavity where we couldn’t get it out.

“If it went into the abdominal cavity it could have potentially killed the cat.”

Alison said the incident had caused distress to children Jacob, aged 10, and Abbie, aged eight.

“The children have been very upset by it,” she said.

“We just didn’t know what had happened because we never dreamt that he had been shot.”