A WESTBURY family has been left griefstricken after their pet cat was shot with a pellet gun in February, and could not be saved even by emergency surgery.
The O’Shaughnessy family are urging people to be vigilant after their cat Whiskey died when she was shot in the stomach. The pellet – presumed to be from a BB gun or air rifle – caused too much internal damage for the vets at Harris Hill and Gibbons to be able to save Whiskey.
The incident happened during halfterm in the Queen’s Road area, near Westbury Junior School. Whiskey was just three years old and the mother of six kittens.
Cat owner Caroline O’Shaughnessy said, “We are absolutely devastated and my children are so upset. I’m a cat lover and have had cats that have been hit by cars or killed by foxes, but this was a deliberate action intended to hurt Whiskey.
“I came home one day to see the kittens licking blood from her belly and I thought she’d been hit by a car. We then paid hundreds of pounds for an X-ray that revealed she had a ball bearing inside her.
“We had to immediately raise £600 for an operation to try and save her; we were desperate and used every last penny we had, as well as a generous donation from the RSPCA, but nothing could be done.
“The most upsetting thing is that she was shot from below, so it was not an accident and must have been intended to cause serious harm. Whiskey was a perfectly healthy young cat and didn’t deserve to have her life shortened like this.
“My children are absolutely devastated, and we’re so worried about her kittens who have been left behind. My biggest worry is that the same thing could happen to someone else – we don’t think it was a personal act aimed at us.
“It’s too dangerous to have people walking around playing with BB guns; what if they had shot a small child by accident?
“Whoever has done this doesn’t know the extent of the upset they have caused our family. I would be so cross if I met them – animals are not targets.
“We’ve always been responsible cat owners but there’s not a lot people can do to protect them from this, short of keeping them inside all day.
“I would urge people to be aware that the same thing could happen anywhere in Westbury, and to report anything suspicious to the police.
“I’d like to thank both the vets at Harris Hill and Gibbons for doing an amazing job caring for Whiskey, and to the RSPCA for their speedy, generous donation.”
There was an outpouring of sympathy from local people on social media, with over 70 comments on Facebook expressing upset and disgust at the attack.
One said, “How anyone could do that to any animal is beyond belief, but it does happen unfortunately. I have two cats myself and would be devastated if it happened to me.”
Victoria Mills, veterinary surgeon at Harris Hill and Gibbons said, “The occurrence of animals being shot with air gun rifle pellets is on the increase in the UK.
“In many cases most people are unaware that their animal may have been shot. Finding airgun pellets under the skin on a routine examination as an incidental finding, isn’t a completely unknown incident. However, in many cases airgun rifle pellets can cause serious injury and in some cases can be fatal. Pellets can rupture the abdominal or chest wall and then puncture the internal organs.
“If you suspect that your pet has been shot, it is best to take you pet to your vet immediately so that emergency treatment can be started.”
A recent survey by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) revealed that 41% of vets had seen cats with airgun injuries in the past year. The cases are reported to have become more frequent in recent years and often coincide with school holidays.
President of the BVA, John Blackwell said, “These findings are distressing for both owners and vets. Anyone using an airgun, whether they are an adult or child, should be aware of the very serious injuries these weapons inflict and parents should act responsibly when allowing any young person to use or possess an airgun.
“The comments from vets in this survey clearly demonstrate the dreadful suffering that can be inflicted on animals when these weapons are used in the wrong hands, without careful and proper supervision.
“Whether the perpetrator is an adult or child, it is blatantly wrong to shoot indiscriminately at cats in this way. We urge the police and local authorities to take action where they can and ask all parents to think very carefully about the consequences of allowing their children access to a weapon that can kill someone’s pet and inflict serious injury on animals and humans alike.”
The police have been informed of the incident – any information relating to it should be reported by calling 101.
