Staggering cat had air gun pellet lodged in neck

A pet cat is recovering after being shot with an air gun, prompting an appeal to find the perpetrator.

Rosie is believed to have been targeted near her home in Whitchurch-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on the morning of 16 August.

After appearing in good health at breakfast time, she returned home at noon and was found staggering in her back garden in Manor Road.

Emergency x-rays revealed she had been shot and a pellet was lodged in her neck.

RSPCA inspector Kirsten Ormerod said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for poor Rosie and her owner.

"She had been seen earlier in the morning, completely well, so it was such a shock for her owner when she returned home just a few hours later having sustained such awful injuries.

"Thankfully, the pellet was able to be removed and Rosie survived but she will need ongoing veterinary treatment as she recovers.

"Rosie doesn't tend to roam far from home, so we believe the incident may have happened somewhere close to her home.

"We would urge anyone in the local area who may have seen something, or who may have CCTV or doorbell footage, to contact us so we can find out what happened."

The RSPCA says reports of animal cruelty peak during the summer season and the numbers are rising.

In June, July and August last year the charity received 6,322 reports to its emergency line compared with 3,852 calls for the same period in 2021 - a 64% increase over five years.