Derby: Three cats injured in air rifle shootings

Nine-year-old Ralph is one of the three cats that have been shot

A pet owner says her family is "devastated" after their cat was one of three to be shot with an air rifle.

Derbyshire Police said it received reports of the cats being shot in the Hillside Road area in Spondon, Derby, over the weekend.

All three cats required treatment, with at least one suffering potentially life-threatening injuries, the force added.

Pet owner Rachel Brentnall said she was "angry and in disbelief".

Police said the first shooting was reported on Saturday, with the owner of the cat explaining their cat had been shot the day before, sustaining injuries to its spine between 13:00 and 15:30 GMT.

On Sunday, two more reports were made that two cats had been shot in the area.

The first of these occurred between 12:00 and 13:00, with the second taking place between 12:00 and 15:00.

Mrs Brentnall said her nine-year-old cat, Ralph, was the one shot between 12:00 and 15:00.

The X-ray results show the pellet inside the cat's abdomen

The 49-year-old said: "He [Ralph] went out at lunchtime and returned mid-afternoon - we didn't initially realise anything was wrong until my daughter shouted from her bedroom to let me know Ralph didn't seem right."

She checked on Ralph and found a wound on his stomach, and took him into emergency vet care.

X-rays showed the pellet had entered near his kidney, travelling to the bottom of his abdomen, meaning vets had to perform emergency surgery to remove it.

"The consequences have been extremely distressing for the whole family", Mrs Brentnall said.

"My teenage children are understandably devastated - not to mention the financial cost, time off work and school. Ralph is part of our family and we are all angry and in disbelief that people can be so cruel."

'Severe injuries'

Police confirmed no arrests had yet been made, and added officers were keen to hear from anyone who might be able to assist with more information.

An RSPCA spokesperson added: "We're very saddened to hear about these cats' injuries, we hope they all go on to make a full recovery and we'd urge anyone with information about who is responsible to contact the police.

"From the reports we receive, we know there are people out there who deliberately target wildlife, pets and farm animals with guns, as well as catapults and crossbows.

"The consequences of weapons being used on animals are devastating, with severe injuries often leading to death."