Shooting alert after cat death

8:47am Friday 5th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

Connor Bland, 14, with Flo the cat whose twin, Kitty, was shot Connor Bland, 14, with Flo the cat whose twin, Kitty, was shot

A CAT owner is warning other animal lovers in Wheldrake to be vigilant after his pet was shot by an airgun pellet and had to be put down by a vet.

Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident, in which the four-year-old cat, called Kitty, was shot in the leg – shattering a bone and leading to the heartbreaking decision by her owners not to have her woken from the general anaesthetic.

It is believed the wound indicated Kitty had been shot from above, possibly from an upper-storey window.

Owner Mark Bland said: “My kids are devastated. If someone is taking pot-shots at animals from their window then people need to be aware.”

Mr Bland, 45, said Kitty made it back to the garden of their home in Main Street late on Monday afternoon where she was found injured by his eldest son.

Mr Bland said: “I thought she had been clipped by a car at first.

“We took her to the vet the next morning and that’s when the pellet was discovered.

“The vet took an X-ray and found the pellet had shattered her femur in her back left leg. She was in agony.”

He said: “The vet said they would have to remove the leg, but said that it would really restrict her quality of life so we decided not to wake her up from the anaesthetic.”

The pet lived with the family and her twin sister Flo at the Blands’ home. Both animals were former rescue cats from the RSPCA.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “The cat, which is believed to have been shot with an air weapon, unfortunately had to be put down following the incident.

“Officers have been making inquiries in the area to establish who was responsible for shooting the cat and are appealing to anyone with information about the incident to come forward.”

Anyone who can help officers is urged to phone North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be phoned anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Comments(12)

BL2 says...
9:52am Fri 5 Oct 12

Eye for an eye case here I think! Hope they find the @rseh0le who did this.

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BL2 says...
10:23am Fri 5 Oct 12

Eye for an eye case here I think! Hope they find the @rseh0le who did this.

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again says...
10:36am Fri 5 Oct 12

Agreed.

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Shouter says...
10:51am Fri 5 Oct 12

It's about time airguns were banned.

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MrsHoney says...
11:15am Fri 5 Oct 12

Agreed!!! Most people do not need one. And kids certainly shouldn't be allowed them.

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Shouter says...
11:23am Fri 5 Oct 12

We once had the misfortune of there being a problem family whose son was using the glass panes in our greenhouse as target practice. Not to mention their two dogs which leapt over the dividing fence, fouling in our garden and chasing our poor cat! Neighbours from hell!

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Jiffy says...
11:26am Fri 5 Oct 12

BL2 wrote:
Eye for an eye case here I think! Hope they find the @rseh0le who did this.
Oh hell yes

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Boadicea says...
12:14pm Fri 5 Oct 12

Airguns should be banned. They are used to shoot animals and birds and sometimes people.

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Guy Fawkes says...
12:55pm Fri 5 Oct 12

See the 'Sneak-in burglary warning' for the reason why airguns should NOT be banned. I keep one at home for precisely this reason and would not hesitate to use it on anyone who tries to break in. Those who misuse airguns should be dealt with. Punishing the innocent along with the guilty is not the answer.

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expubcrawler says...
8:21pm Fri 5 Oct 12

Sadly the only thing cat owners can do to avoid an injury such as this is keep their pet indoors at all times.
Hard to do though if a cat is used to going out but it can be done if they are kept indoors from being kittens. And contrary to popular belief as long as they have toys and a litter box inside they are quite happy - and safe.

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Snarfang says...
9:19pm Fri 5 Oct 12

Our youngest cat is a rescue, when we got her we thought she'd been in a fight with another cat She had a hole and lump on her neck.

A few weeks later my husband stood on an air gun pellet. It was covered in her fur and the lump under her neck had gone.

She now wont purr we think that's because the pellet hurt when she tried.

Those who do this should be subject to the same treatment.

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TERRIER3 says...
3:58pm Sat 6 Oct 12

if the a@shole is reading this which i doubt because he probably cant read, then i hope you die a miserable death, anyone who hurts animals ( or other humans ) for no reason is a pathetic excuse for a human, your not hard or clever your a d***head

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