Buntingford cat dies and another hurt in air rifle shootings

Petchi was being cared for by vets after being hit by a car when an x-ray revealed he had been shot

A cat has died and another is recovering after being shot by air rifles within weeks of each other on the same housing estate.

Petchi ran into the road and was hit by a car after he was shot on 24 October in Buntingford, Hertfordshire.

Rodney needed surgery after being shot in the abdomen on 17 November.

The RSPCA is investigating and said the incidents were less than half a mile (0.8 km) apart on the Knights Walk estate.

Petchi's owner Lynn Sheldrick received a call from a vet who said her five-year-old pet had been found injured in Hare Street Road.

An x-ray showed he had a pellet embedded in his chest. He died the following day.

"We believe he had been shot with an airgun and was so shocked he ran into the road and was hit by a car," Ms Sheldrick said.

"We were so angry when we found out he had been shot. How could someone do that?"

Rodney is expected to make a full recovery, the RSPCA said

Two-year-old Rodney had returned home in the Dellow Close area "flat and cold", with his owners suspecting that he had been hit by a car.

An x-ray revealed a pellet inside his abdomen, which was removed during surgery to repair his damaged intestine.

"When I realised what had happened to him I felt sick," said his owner, who did not want to give her name.

"Knowing someone has hurt my cat deliberately is so much worse.

"It's disturbing."

Any information on the shootings and reports of two further shootings in the area should be directed to the RSPCA or Hertfordshire Police.

In June, two cats in neighbouring houses died within a week of each other after apparently being shot with air rifles in Knebworth, Hertfordshire.