Hove cat owner performs surgery on her own pet after air gun shooting (From The Argus)

Hove cat owner performs surgery on her own pet after air gun shooting

3:00pm Wednesday 13th May 2009 in Search By Rebecca Evans

A cat owner performed life-saving surgery on her own pet after it was shot in the face by thugs.

Vet Kathy Senior, who works in Grove Lodge Veterinary Practice, Worthing, decided to operate on one-year-old puss Shadow after realising he had been seriously injured.

An air rifle pellet had shattered teeth and damaged the roof of the cat’s mouth before it got lodged in the base of his tongue.

Miss Senior, 32, of Fourth Avenue, Hove, said: “It was just so shocking and I felt really guilty. I could not believe someone had really shot him and how lucky he had been. If the angle had been different he would have been dead.

“I kind of wanted to get on with the surgery and get him sorted. It felt quite good to be able to help him.

“My colleagues were really great and helpful because I was obviously very upset.

“He has now had £1,000 worth of surgery, but I don't care how much it costs.”

Miss Senior adopted the black and white cat eight months ago after he was brought into her surgery as a rescue animal.

She said he was such a character that she had to take him home to join her other cat, Bart.

Although Shadow has fully recovered from the gunshot, which happened on May 8, Miss Senior said she thinks it will take some time before he is back to his old self again.

She added: “I think he is more nervous now, he won't go out of the garden and Bart doesn't like him because he smells of the vets. It is going to take a long time to get better.

“I still let the cats out because they hate being kept in but I am paranoid that something like this will happen again. ”

She added: “Shadow must have been in so much pain. I honestly can't understand why people would do that to animals. Maybe they just don't care or are oblivious to the suffering they cause. Shadow is lucky to be alive.”

Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service is offering a £500 reward for anyone with information that will lead to prosecution.

If you have any information call the RSPCA on 0870 5555999 or the police on 0845 60 70 999, quoting incident number 749100509.