Amputation fear after cat shot twice with airgun

Vets may be forced to amputate the leg of a cat that was seriously injured in a suspected airgun attack in West London, RSPCA officers have warned.

The charity has called for tougher restrictions on the weapons after launching an investigation into the case involving Caesar, who was found in Feltham.

After being taken to a vet by a member of the public, x-rays revealed Caesar had pellets lodged in both his hip and right front leg.

But clinicians are now considering amputation because bone has begun to calcify around one of the injuries, which meant it can’t be removed.

‘Terrifying’ experience

Animal rescue officer Sam Matthews said Caesar had endured a “terrifying and very painful” experience. He said: “Had he not been brought into vets then the injuries would have only worsened.”

The case, which the charity reported on 14 May, has been highlighted amid what it fears is a growing problem, with recorded airgun attacks on cats increasing by 30% in 2024.

Overall, around 1,000 airgun attacks on animals are typically reported across England and Wales every year.

Tighter controls

Mr Matthews argued tighter controls on the weapons, including a requirement for basic safety training to be completed prior to purchase, could help to reduce suffering.

He added: “We want to see a world where every kind of animal is treated with compassion and respect and deliberate and brutal acts of cruelty should be consigned to the past.”

Caesar, who officers said was not microchipped, is now being cared for at the RSPCA’s Hillingdon Animal Clinic and will be rehomed if an owner does not come forward.