High Wycombe cat shot in the bladder with an air rifle

Peter Smith, who lives in Caver Hill, revealed that his moggie, Paws, was injured in the afternoon of Sunday, March 3.

His wife and children had been playing in their back garden which is where their cats had been, before they went for a walk.

Later that day, they saw Paws vomiting in their utility room and that he was struggling to urinate.

The cat then began ‘howling in pain’ which led to Peter calling an emergency/out-of-hours vet for help.

Paws is now resting at home following the attack on March 3 (Image: RSPCA)

They were told that Paws needed to be seen ‘within 24 hours’ as bladder issues could be fatal in cats.

Thankfully, the animal survived and is recovering at home.

He explained: “We were quite distressed as this was all happening late on a Sunday night.

“We managed to get an emergency appointment in Stokenchurch on Monday morning and the vet thought that our cat had suffered an impact injury.

“He had an ultrasound and discovered his bladder was torn and we thought this was very unusual.

“He needed an operation as his bladder was ruptured.

“Then, to our horror, we got a call saying he had been shot with an air rifle and that a pellet was still in his bladder.

“We were already distressed as our pets are like extra children, they’re family.

“So to hear that someone had shot our cat was horrific.

“Thankfully, the vets did a miraculous job as the pellet had missed any major organs and arteries and they were able to repair his bladder.

“He had two nights at the vet and is no recovering well at home.”

Peter and his wife Aroona have adopted several cats in the last few years and at the time of writing, they are housing four felines – two boys and two girls.

But the attack on Paws has made the couple anxious about this happening to their animals again.

Cats are free to roam on private property under British law.

Peter continued: “We had a cat that passed away in 2019 and it took us several years to get over it as he was over 20 when he died.

The pellet that was found in Paws' bladder (Image: RSPCA)

“My kids love cats and when I walk them to school, they want to say hello to the cats they see and give them names.

“We were very distressed when we heard the news because it’s horrific.”

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “We received reports of a cat being fired at with an air weapon at some stage on Sunday 3 March in the afternoon.

“The incident occurred in the region of Caver Hill.

“Anybody with any information on the incident is asked to call Thames Valley Police on 101, quoting reference number 43240102040.

“The investigation has been filed, pending further information coming to light, and can be re-opened should any significant information be provided to the force.”

We have contacted the RSPCA for a comment about the incident.