Rescue cat on the mend after being shot with air rifle

Monday 20 November 2017

A four-year-old rescue cat living in First Tower is recovering from his injuries after he was shot with an air rifle powerful enough to shatter a bone, with the metal pellet lodging itself in his body.

But 'Snug' may actually have used up one of his nine lives, as from the trajectory, vets think the pellet was aimed at his chest, but fortunately it missed.

Snug's owner, Jessica Wood, noticed that something was wrong with him when he came home with a limp. She told Express: "He is an outdoor cat. He goes out during the day and at night, but he always comes back at least twice a day to eat. He didn't come home on Halloween, but when I came back from work on 1 November he was in his cat bed. He looked a bit sad and sorry for himself but seemed ok otherwise. When he got up as I fed him, I noticed he had a limp. When I felt his leg, I could feel something which I thought was metallic but was actually his bone." 

Pictured: Snug is a four-year-old cat rescue cat who likes to wander.

Ms Wood rang her vet at New Era and made an appointment for the following day. After they x-rayed Snug, they told her he had a pellet in his leg. In a post on the New Era Facebook page, the vets explained: "We could feel a large wound on his right arm above his elbow so suspected a cat bite - we all got a massive shock when the X-ray popped up and showed a metal pellet by his radius - and it had shattered his radius into three bits. The bullet had travelled 3 inches through his muscle and just missed his radial nerve. Even then it still had the power to break a bone when hit the radius." 

Ms Wood was shocked to hear that her beloved furry friend had been shot. "It's horrible. Jersey is such a safe place, it's a wonderful island. It's even sadder it happened on our beautiful island, you don't expect this to happen. I was really shocked and sad when the vets told me what happened. At first I didn't think the worst, I thought someone might have believed Snug was a rabbit or something. But then the vet said the bullet was aimed at his chest. It's lucky they missed but it shows that they were definitely out to harm something." 

Pictured: Snug is recovering at home after two weeks at the vet.

Luckily, Snug, whom Ms Wood rescued from the shelter when he was only 18 months old, is now recovering and relaxing at home after two weeks at New Era. He is not particularly enjoying his homebound status but will soon be able to go outside again. Ms Wood says: "He is using his leg normally and his appetite is fine. He's on the mend. The vets at New Era, who were incredibly amazing repaired his leg with a metal splinter and five screws. It is still a little bit weak so he is stuck indoors. He is scratching at the door to get out but I have to keep him in until it strengthens. He is not bad though he is sat in front of the log fire enjoying the heat and cuddles."

Pictured: Snug will soon be able to go outside again.

Concerned about the nature of the incident, Ms Wood alerted the police. She has decided to share her story so that pet owners can keep an eye out for their four-legged friends. "It is such an horrible thing to do. People need to be aware that someone is doing that. I am worried it could be a trend and I hope that whoever did that can be found and talked to."