Pet cats 'traumatised' after being shot in the face with air gun in Faversham

Two cats have been left with serious injuries after being shot in the face with an airgun within weeks of each other.

The cats' owner, from Faversham in Kent, was distraught to find her pets had been targeted twice.

The first incident happened a few weeks ago and saw two-year-old Teddy shot in the eye with a pellet which resulted in him needing to have his eye removed.

The latest incident happened on Wednesday (9 November) at around 2pm.

One-year-old Tabby had been out for a couple of hours when she came back to her home in Cole Road with blood all over her face.

Her owner, Kerry Pearce, immediately took her to the vets where it was revealed that she had a pellet lodged in her nasal cavity.

Vets managed to remove the pellet but due to the location of the injury, poor Tabby has been having difficulty breathing.

Kerry said: “It’s horrible to think someone could do something like this to any animal but our cats are a part of our family so it’s just devastating.”

The RSPCA is now appealing for information as the charity investigates what happened.

Animal rescue officer (ARO) Lynn White is appealing for anyone who heard or saw anything just after lunchtime on Wednesday in the Cole Road area, to get in touch.

She said: “This was a callous and deliberate attack on two defenceless pet cats, and the fact that this is the second time this has happened in just a few weeks is extremely worrying.

“We believe these two cats never wandered far from their home so it must have happened in the local area.

"We’re now appealing for anyone who may have information about this to please contact us in strictest confidence.”

Every year the RSPCA receives almost 1,000 calls to investigate cases and help hundreds of animals that are the victims of air gun attacks.

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.

Lynn added: “It is very distressing to think that people take pleasure in causing such horrific injuries to defenceless animals. These are deliberate and brutal acts of cruelty.

Teddy is coping well with just one eye but Tabby has a long road to recovery ahead of her. 

Kerry, said: “She’s struggling to breathe, she’s barely eaten, and she wants to go back outside but I don’t want any of my cats out now. It doesn’t feel safe for them, or for my family.”

Kerry rescued her cats as they were living as strays and the mum had recently had a litter of kittens. 

If you have any information which may help this investigation, please contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.