Cat shot with air rifle in Mansfield Woodhouse had to have leg amputated
A helpless cat from Mansfield Woodhouse has been left without a leg after it was shot with an air rifle.
The owner, Jill Walker, 32, of Oxclose Lane, says she was left “devastated” when her cat, Tony, was found to have a metal pellet wedged deep into his leg.
Jill was on holiday when she received a call from her daughter’s boyfriend saying that her cat, Tony, had come home with a limp.
When she arrived home last week, she found that 15-month-old Tony had more than just a limp.
Jill said: “His leg was completely lifeless. He was trying to put weight on it and it was just flopping.
“We were hoping it was just a minor injury from a cat fight or something.!
Tony was taken to Park Hall Veterinary Clinic and an x-ray showed a metal pellet deep in his leg that had shattered his bones.
The bullet is believed to be from an air rifle.
“I can’t imagine the pain he’s been and going through,” said Jill.
“The fact that somebody who lives so close to you could do such a thing is horrendous.”
The family were given the only option of amputation - unless they were able to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a specialist vet.
Jill added: “I broke down - I was absolutely devastated. I just wasn’t expecting it.
“I cried every step of the way, but the vet surgery staff were absolutely fantastic and so understanding.”
The damages have cost a total of £300.
And although Tony is slowly recovering from his injuries, it has made the family anxious about letting him out again.
“I want to warn other people about what’s happened here.
“I just hope nothing like this happens again.”