Cat's catapult-attack eye loss 'really shocking'

Warning: the following article contains images and details some readers may find distressing.

Patty the cat lost her eye after being hit with a ball bearing fired from a catapult

The owner of a cat which was injured in a catapult attack says she was left devastated after her pet had to have an eye removed.

"We were terrified," said Laura Patterson from Hampshire, who has spoken out about the attack, after a BBC investigation found several thousand crimes linked to catapults and slingshots had been recorded over the last five years.

Surrey's deputy police and crime commissioner (PCC), Ellie Vesey-Thompson, has described these attacks as "deeply distressing" and is calling for urgent action from the government.

The Home Office says it continues to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interest of public safety.

'It was shocking'

Ms Patterson said she was at home in Yateley watching TV when her pet cat, Patty, ran through the back door with an injured eye. She was rushed to the emergency vet.

"It was shocking, it was really shocking. I think I screamed at one point," she said.

Initially the vet thought Patty had been hit by a car, but then found a 9mm (0.3 inch) ball bearing lodged behind her eye which had to be removed.

She said it appeared to have been a targeted attack.

"We were devastated. It was horrible to see," Ms Patterson said.

The ball bearing was removed from behind Patty's eye by vets

After seeing the injury to the cat, Ms Patterson said her son "didn't stop crying for days - it was that bad".

"We were living somewhere where someone had hurt our pet. Not knowing who it was is really horrible to live with."

Patty has since recovered and has adapted to living with only one eye.

But Ms Patterson said it was really difficult letting the cat out of the house again, for fear of further attacks.

There have been other incidents in the area, with wildlife including swans also being harmed, she says.

She says laws are in place to prevent similar attacks, "but still nothing is happening".

"It's going to continue happening unless people do something about it," Ms Patterson added.

No one was has ever been charged over Patty's injuries.

Hampshire Police says it appreciates that incidents of this nature have a "huge impact on local communities as intentionally harming defenceless animals is shocking and it simply won't be tolerated".

A police spokesperson said: "Officers would like to reassure the community that we take reports like this extremely seriously and we will do all we can to find those responsible."

Attacks by 'idiots'

It is not illegal to carry a catapult, as they have legitimate uses including by anglers.

The Angling Trust says it does not support a ban on the possession of catapults in public, which some wildlife campaigners had called for.

Campaigns manager Stuart Singleton-White, speaking to the BBC at a lake in Farnham Flint near Reading, said they use them to propel bait further from the angler.

"The catapults that we use as anglers are low velocity, small plastic things that we use to fire a bit of bait out to feed our swims.

"There are already laws to protect our wildlife and to protect people from the action of these idiots."

However, Ms Vesey-Thompson, Surrey's deputy PCC, is calling for the government to start treating catapults as seriously as knives.

She first called for regulations over the sale and public carrying of catapults in February 2024.

It followed a campaign by volunteers at the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, Surrey which had been sparked by a series of attacks in the area on swans and other waterfowl.

"Using catapults to harm animals and wildlife is abhorrent. We are also seeing anti-social behaviour linked to catapults and sometimes even injury to humans, which is incredibly dangerous."

"Anyone caught with one must have a legitimate purpose for doing so, and it should be their responsibility to prove that purpose if they're stopped by the police," she said.

Danni Rogers, a volunteer at the swan sanctuary has gone further, calling for a ban on the carrying of catapults in public.

"Wildlife is so vulnerable, they are so trusting and then you've got these idiots, mindless thugs, going round. These are seriously cowardly acts of pure evilness," he said.

How many attacks?

Catapult crimes are not included in official statistics, so BBC Verify sent Freedom of Information requests to police forces in England and Wales, asking for crime records which mentioned the words "catapult" or "slingshot".

According to responses from 37 out of 43 forces, about 7,200 crime records mentioned the words in the five years to the end of 2024.

Some forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service and Greater Manchester Police, were unable to answer, therefore the total number of crime logs mentioning the objects is likely to be higher.

Use of the words "catapult" and "slingshot" in crime logs do not conclusively show catapults were used – as the words may have been used in a different context.

The National Police Chiefs Council said: "Policing's priority is to keep our communities safe, and while there is currently no legislation specific to the possession and use of catapults, where they are used to commit crimes we will look to utilise all legislation available to us to bring those responsible to justice."

A government spokesperson said: "Catapults should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against people, wildlife or property.

"We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interest of public safety."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.