Beauty spot cat shooting prompts warning to owners

The cat's owner found the badly injured pet at their home in the village of Urra, police said.

A warning has been issued to pet owners in the North York Moors after a cat was shot in the face.

The injured cat was found at home by its owner and had to be put down following the attack, which happened in the small village of Urra between 10 and 12 August, North Yorkshire Police said.

An X-ray confirmed a bullet was the cause of its "significant facial injuries", the force said.

The RSPCA advised owners to be "extra vigilant" as new figures revealed cats were being "increasingly targeted in deliberate weapon attacks".

Appealing for information, a police spokesperson said: "This was clearly an extremely distressing incident for both the cat and its owner and we have launched a criminal investigation, which is active and ongoing."

Other cats are believed to have gone missing in the area, which lies on the northern edge of the North York Moors National Park, and officers urged people to be "mindful" when allowing pets out.

An RSPCA spokesperson said they were aware of the "awful incident" and would support the police if needed.

"The number of cats shot with an air gun, catapult, slingshot or crossbow more than doubled in the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2023," they added.

Its figures for England and Wales showed there had been a 23% year-on-year increase in the total number of animals targeted by weapons from 300 in 2022 to 370 last year.

In the past four years, there were 17 reports of such incidents in North Yorkshire.

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