Cat found with broken leg after surviving multiple airgun shots

-Credit: (Image: RSPCA)
-Credit: (Image: RSPCA)


People who indiscriminately target animals with air guns are being urged to think about the devastating consequences of their actions following the shooting of a cat in West Yorkshire who was left with a broken leg.

Nine-year-old Muffin was found by a member of the public in their garden in Allerton Bywater, Leeds, and her owners were traced after an appeal on social media.

Unable to bear weight on her left hind leg, she was taken for immediate veterinary treatment where X-rays revealed the limb was shattered in two places. An airgun pellet was found by her knee joint and near her back, along with another one in her stomach which vets believe is likely to have been there for some time because of a layer of fat around it.

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Vets pinned and plated Muffin’s leg and successfully removed one of the pellets. She’s been on pain medication and antibiotics since returning home and her owners - who live in the village - say she is back to her normal self, although she’s not allowed to jump because of the surgery.

The animal welfare charity says the number of reported incidents involving cats being targeted with airguns, catapults, slingshots and crossbows doubled in the first six months of this year, with 44 cases being reported compared to 18 in the same period in 2023.

The charity’s data also shows that between 2020 and 2023, there were a total of 896 incidents reported to the RSPCA involving weapons affecting all types of animals, with 31 incidents occurring in West Yorkshire during that time.

West Yorkshire RSPCA Inspector Adam Dickinson said: “These types of incidents are very worrying and leave other people feeling anxious that their pets or even their children could be hurt. It’s unspeakably cruel and totally unacceptable to shoot animals for ‘fun’ like this, or to harm them for target practice, but sadly, we receive hundreds of reports every year.

Muffins' leg had been shattered in two places -Credit:RSPCA
Muffins' leg had been shattered in two places -Credit:RSPCA

“Cats like Muffin often sustain life-changing injuries - commonly blindness - from being shot with a weapon or in some cases don’t not survive at all. However, we believe the numbers we hear about only show part of the problem as not all cases will be reported to us and there may be situations where animals injured and killed by these weapons are sadly never found - especially in the case of wildlife.

“We’re so pleased that Muffin is making good progress and we’d urge anyone with first-hand information about this incident to get in touch with the RSPCA.”

The RSPCA continues to call for stricter regulations around airgun ownership in both England and Wales. Better education, basic safety training for owners and a thorough explanation of the law - including our legal obligations towards animals - could help protect animals from such attacks in the future.

Muffin’s owners reported the incident to the RSPCA on September 22 and officers have made enquiries locally. Anyone with information about the attack is urged to contact the charity’s appeals line on 0300 123 8018 quoting reference number 01357492.

An airgun pellet was found by her knee joint and near her back, along with another one in her stomach which vets believe is likely to have been there for some time because of a layer of fat around it -Credit:RSPCA
An airgun pellet was found by her knee joint and near her back, along with another one in her stomach which vets believe is likely to have been there for some time because of a layer of fat around it -Credit:RSPCA

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