Funding appeal after cat shot by air rifle thug
APET owner has spoken out after an unknown thug shot her beloved rescue cat with an air rifle in Runcorn.
Caitlin Weber, of Hallwood Park, has branded the shooter a ‘ monster’ after she discovered twoyear-old Sebastian was bleeding from his abdomen at around 2pm last Monday.
Sebastian had been out in the morning between around 8.30am and 10.30am and seemed unwell but showed no obvious external symptoms.
Caitlin contacted the vets, who confirmed there was a pellet lodged in the stricken cat’s intestine.
The moggy underwent surgery to remove three rings of his intestine and he remained under observation at the vets to make sure the surgery site is not leaking until being released at the weekend.
To make matters worse, Sebastian contracted peritonitis – inflammation and infection of the abdominal lining – as a result of the shot.
Caitlin said she has
been ‘blown away’ by the public support following the incident.
She is now raising cash to cover the vets bill, which is expected to reach around £1,000-£1,500, having not taken out insurance because her last two cats lived blissfully to 17 and 19 years respectively without needing treatment.
Sadly, Sebastian was not to share their luck.
She said: “He didn’t look very well. I checked his stomach and didn’t notice any wounds.
“I thought he had a belly ache, then he coughed up a fur ball.
“I noticed him lying down and his side was a little bit wet, and I went to tap it and it was red, fresh blood – I immediately freaked out and called the vets.
“They examined the wounds and thought it was a pellet gun.
“He had an X-ray and it confirmed it was a pellet.”
She added: “It’s a case now of seeing whether his intestines heal quickly enough.
“He’s still not quite out of the woods. “Fingers crossed. “He’s such a good boy, I can’t believe this has happened.”
Her online appeal said: “My little boy didn’t ask for this. He is the sweetest, most loving cat despite his rough start.
“All he wants is to be loved and safe and that has been taken away by an evil person with a rifle.”
A Cheshire police spokesman said: “At 7pm on July 8, officers were called to reports that a cat had been shot with a pellet gun in the Hallwood Park area of Runcorn.
“The caller reported that they had taken their cat to the vet as it appeared unwell and the vet discovered that it had been shot with a pellet gun.
“The cat has since had an operation and is currently recovering.
“It is not known exactly where and when the incident occurred.”
Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to call Cheshire police on 101 quoting incident 450 429.
To contribute to the fundraiser visit www. gofundme.com and search for ‘Sebby was shot and needs help’. ●