Pet owner calls for caution as cat is left paralysed by air rifle in Devon

A cat owner is urging others to be vigilant of their pets after her cat was left paralysed after being shot by an air rifle.

It is not yet know whether two-year-old Missy will make a recovery or will have to be put down.

Her owner, Sharleen Squires, of Buckland, Newton Abbot, rushed Missy to the vets on July 12, after she was spotted severely injured on their road.

At first Sharleen and the vet thought she had been hit by a car, but it later transpired that she had been shot after a pellet was removed from her spine.

Missy is still at the vets more than a week later and is having daily physiotherapy to see if she will be able to regain any movement in her backs legs which are currently paralysed.

Sharleen said: "A couple of neighbours saw Missy outside by our house. She was dragging herself along the floor and crying out in pain.

"We rushed her to the vets thinking she had been hit by a car. When an X-ray showed she had been shot in the spine we couldn't believe it. We were just so distressed and couldn't get our heads around why someone would do something so cruel."

An attempt was made to bring Missy back home last Saturday, July 17, but it was too distressing for the cat and her owners.

"It was heartbreaking seeing her so distressed and trying to climbing around her crate," Sharleen said.

"We asked the vet if they thought she would pull through. We have been told she is showing tiny signs of hope. When they are doing physiotherapy on her leg they can feel some kind of movement, so we think she really is trying her best to move.

"We are just taking it day by day. We are trying to stay positive, but we are preparing ourselves for the worst as well."

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Missy's spiralling vet bills. Although Sharleen has pet insurance it will only cover Missy for up to £1,000, and already her vet bill has reached £700.

So far it has raised £50, and Sharleen hopes it may help get Missy back on her feet again.

In the meantime, she is also hoping that the culprit who shot Missy will be caught to prevent any more animals from suffering in the future, and is urging other cat owners to be vigilant.