Air rifle cat attacker strikes in Sussex village with two family pets injured

Two cats are recovering after being shot with what's believed to be an air rifle.

The owner of one of the cats, Teddy, described the person as 'evil' with her family pet now recovering from a leg injury.

Jasmine Giles said, "Luckily he is alive but he is now suffering, in a lot of pain and can hardly walk.

"We are devastated and disgusted with how anyone can do this to our sweet boy.

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"Whoever has done this to him needs to be found so someone else doesn't have to go through the pain we have been through knowing someone has intentionally hurt him.

"If you have cats around this area please be very careful."

Teddy was attacked on Monday October 9th on The Lawns in Sompting, West Sussex.

The next Sunday, October 15th, police received reports of a second attack in the same area.

That car was found with a pellet in its lung and Sussex Police said both attacks are linked.

Chair of Worthing Cat Welfare Trust Joss Loader said, "Shooting and harming cats obviously causes a huge amount of distress, to both the poor animals and their owners.  It is also illegal.

"In 2021, the Animal Welfare Act was amended and courts do take animal cruelty seriously. The so-called Brighton Cat Killer died in jail in 2022, after being convicted of fatally stabbing nine pets and injuring seven others.  "If anyone has any information on the latest shootings, please contact the Police, quoting 972 of 15/10.

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