'Miracle' cat survives 30 wounds from shotgun attack
- Published
An X-ray of Puss-Puss's body reveals the extent of the pellets which hit her
A cat "miraculously" survived a shotgun attack which left her body riddled with about 30 separate wounds, according to an animal charity.
The RSPCA said three-year-old Puss-Puss will need her eye removing after she was shot near her home in Ardleigh, Colchester, Essex.
She had pellet wounds all over her body and head and the charity described her survival as "miraculous".
Her injuries were only discovered when she returned home on Friday.
Her owner, Doug Taw, remembers hearing gun shots in the area before the black-and-white cat went missing for a week.
The owner of Puss says he was heartbroken to see her in such a distressed state
Mr Taw said: "I just can't think what sort of person could have done this to her.
"We heard some gunshots but didn't imagine at first it could have anything to do with Puss-Puss.
"Then we found her crouched under a car, frightened and injured. She ran off and we couldn't find her for a week.
"I was beside myself with worry. Then she eventually dragged herself back in a terrible state and we rushed her straight to the vet.
"It is heartbreaking seeing her in such a distressed state, and I am so upset that she will now lose her eye.
"It is a miracle she survived but it's going to take a lot for her to get back to her normal self, and she will obviously always bear the scars now."
RSPCA inspector Adam Jones said: "We were shocked to find that Puss-Puss was peppered with such an extraordinary number of pellet wounds all over her body and head.
"One was in her paw, making it hard for her to walk, and another in the middle of her eye - causing a detached retina.
"The vet said two had just missed her spinal cord and it is a miracle she survived."