Plymouth cats hurt in air rifle attacks on same street

Vets found a pellet in Bruno's eye socket during emergency surgery

An air rifle attack on a cat which lost an eye after being shot five times happened two weeks after a similar attack on the same street.

Vets said one-year-old Bruno must have been "pinned down" and shot in the head, leg and shoulders.

More cat owners have since come forward to say that their pets were also shot on Mirador Place in Plymouth, Devon.

The RSPCA said it was "greatly concerned" to hear about the attacks, while police are also investigating.

"Who could do this to an animal?" asked Owner Sarah Collins

Bruno's owner Sarah Collins said that he returned home at about 16:30 BST on Friday covered in blood and barely able to walk.

She thought he had been hit by a car and took him to a local vet who carried out emergency surgery to remove his eye.

During the operation they discovered an air rifle pellet in his eye socket and four more inside his body.

Ms Collins said: "I was in tears. My thought was 'who could do this to an animal?'.

"The vet said that he actually cried himself knowing that this cat had quite obviously been pinned down or cornered to have these types of injuries."

Black cat Bruno lost his eye after he was "pinned down" and shot

Sylvia French said that her three-year-old cat Marley was shot in the leg in a "heartbreaking" attack on Wednesday 18 September.

"It's very worrying. It's not nice for the owners, it's expensive for the owners, and it's heartbreaking for the cats," she said.

Ms French said that she was now wary of letting Marley out again and considering keeping him inside.

"I'd like to see someone investigate or do door-to-door to see who's got this air rifle and going round shooting animals," she said.

Sylvia French said that she has been keeping Marley indoors for his safety

Louise Terrell said her two-year-old cat Woody had been wounded in a suspected air rifle attack on the street on 9 October last year.

She thought he had been attacked by another animal but a local vet said Woody's claws were intact - suggesting he had been wounded by a pellet.

Ms Terrell has since reported the attack to the police.

The RSPCA said: "Causing unnecessary suffering to a cat in this way is an offence and at the moment carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and/or unlimited fine."

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were "investigating the circumstances of the incident and are appealing for witnesses and information."

Mirador Place in Plymouth, where the three attacks took place