Air rifle yob left cat with pellet in spine
ACAT has been left with an air rifle pellet lodged in its spine after it was shot by a cruel yob.
Hennessy is thought to have been shot while she was in the Harrogate Road Allotments, in Reddish, at the weekend.
Vets are now battling to keep the three-year-old alive after she lost all movement in her back legs.
Hennessy’s owner, who asked not to be named, first noticed her pet was missing on Saturday.
She said it was odd for Hennessy to not be at home, as she rarely goes outdoors.
After searching the area, and knocking on neighbours’ houses, she started calling local vets.
A cat matching Hennessy’s description had been taken in at a nearby surgery and was later identified as the missing feline.
It was initially thought the tortoiseshell and white short-haired cat had been hit by a car.
But after undergoing a CT scan on Monday, vets discovered an air rifle pellet was lodged in the animal’s spine.
She has been transferred to a specialist neurologist in Liverpool to see if anything can be done to save Hennessy and improve her quality of life.
The shooting has been reported to Greater Manchester Police and the RSPCA.
Hennessy’s owner told the Express: “I noticed she was not at home. She went missing on Saturday evening. I knocked on all the neighbours doors trying to find her.
“I called the local vets and there was a cat matching her description.
“I went down there and it was her. At that point we thought she had been hit by a car. She was not moving her back legs. She had a CT scan and found a pellet lodged in her spine.”
Hennessy underwent life-saving surgery last year after she was found to have suffered severe internal injuries.
Vets found there had been acute blunt force trauma to her abdomen.
She was pregnant at the time and lost her kittens.
The cat was rescued by the Chorlton Cats Charity and rehomed.
Her owner added: “It was shocking. Especially what happened last year, you think lightning won’t strike the same place twice.
“I would never expect this to happen to her. It has happened right near my house.
“I have got no idea who may have done it. There could have been kids playing around there.
“She is a little sweetheart, one of the most affectionate cats I have had.”
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about this incident, it must have been terribly upsetting for the owners of the cat and also the person who found the pet in such a suffering state.
“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. The injuries caused by such attacks are horrific and often fatal.
“We are calling for tighter controls on air weapons. This, along with better education and explanation of the law when buying an air gun and requirements that everyone must receive basic safety training before being allowed to walk out of the shop with one 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/or an unlimited fine if found guilty under the Animal Welfare Act.”