Stray Cat Found With Air Gun Pellet Lodged Near Spine
A stray cat, who was discovered with an air gun pellet lodged near her spine, is now on the mend and looking for a new home.
The one-year-old feline had been living as part of a feral colony near Hendon in North West London. The black and white cat, named Sorcha, had initially been brought into London-based animal welfare charity, Mayhew, through their Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) initiative.
Mayhew’s Cat Welfare Coordinator, Georgina Disney, said: “Our TNR programme for feral cats in London helps to control and contain the cat population. We will trap the cats on location to bring them back to Mayhew for neutering and health checks. We will then re-release the neutered adult cats back to their colony, providing the area is suitable and safe for them.
“When we arrived at the colony in North West London, Sorcha appeared to be very scared of humans, and we were originally under the impression that she was a feral cat. We trapped her and brought her straight back to Mayhew to be assessed and neutered by our Vet Team.
“However, as soon as we started her assessments, it became very apparent that Sorcha was a domesticated cat. She was ever so friendly, enjoying lots of fuss and strokes from the team. During her assessments I found a suspicious lump near her spine. I thought it might have been an air gun pellet, so I quickly informed our Vet Team, who investigated further.”
Mayhew Vet, Emily Richardson, said: “When Sorcha first arrived she was very dirty and had a lump on her back near her spine.
“We removed the mass under general anaesthetic and discovered it was in fact an air gun pellet. She did not seem to be in pain and there was no skin damage, so the metal pellet must have been there for a while. Thankfully it hadn’t caused any serious damage.
“Apart from having to remove the pellet, Sorcha was in a good overall condition and she had no other health concerns. She was treated with anti-parasite treatment and later neutered and vaccinated.”
Mayhew’s Head of Animal Welfare, Zoe Edwards, added: “The volume of instances where cats have been killed or injured by air guns is very concerning. We believe that a much stricter regulation on the ownership of air guns needs to be put in place to help protect cats and other animals from these attacks.
“We hope that any future regulation of air guns will better protect animals and communities.”
After receiving medical care and attention from Mayhew’s Vet Team and love and socialisation from the Cattery Team, Sorcha was soon back to her friendly and sociable self.
As soon as she was ready, Sorcha was put up for adoption and is now looking for the purrfect new home.
If you are interested in adopting Sorcha or any other cats in Mayhew’s care, please visit www.themayhew.org or call 020 8962 8000.
Mayhew provides low-cost neutering at their Community Vet Clinic and their Animal Welfare Officers deliver a free Pick and Snip service to help and encourage people who have been unable to neuter their cat due to cost, disability, apathy or transport availability. Find out more about their services by visiting www.themayhew.org and please consider a donation to help them help even more animals like Sorcha.
That’s awful! So glad Sorcha was saved! People can be so cruel!
I know 🙁
So sorry2hear this.Glad doing better. My neighbor believes in gun.Gave Air gun2young son. I found… https://t.co/rhjx6DkfyN
Thank you <3
What a beautiful lady she is! Regardless of whom she chooses to care for her, they will indeed be most fortunate.
Perhaps you have an older post or information for those considering the adoption of an older, rescued, ferral feline. Anyone joining the divas here would have to be content staying indoors… We are still searching for that little brother to make our family complete.
Poor baby :'(
To who ever thought it was acceptable to shoot a cat, karma is a cat with claws. She will make someone a great loving fur-child. Cheers,H
Thank you very much for avoiding the pain to the animals!
Glad she’s safe now. ?
Us too <3
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This is exactly why I disagree with letting cats (or dogs, for that matter) wander freely. If they have access to one’s fenced in yard or a catio, that satisfies their desire to be outside, sniffing, exploring, running around. It spares them unwanted pregnancies as well for those cats and dogs with owners who are irresponsible on the matter of spaying or neutering.
Sorcha is fortunate decent human beings saved her. As for regulating air guns, discharging them inside city limits is pretty much a standard violation of law or ordinances, but people who’d harm animals straying into their yards will still use them as long as they can get away with it. That brings us back to the responsibility to control the wanderings of our companion animals!
You are so right. I’m all for cats having access to the outside but it needs to be a secure space. Sadly humanity in its whole does not create a safe place for freely roaming cats let alone other humans. :/
Many thanks to the wonderful people who helped Sorcha! Hopefully karma will visit those who hurt animals for “sport.”
Thank you Paula <3
Thank you for the great coverage!
You are most welcome. 🙂
For every sociopathic cat hater-shooter there is a cat lover and a sacricial veterinarian waiting to love and heal that cat.
And without those cat lovers and vets we would be lost. I’m very glad there are people like Mayhew filling that space.
I am sure it hurt bad when the cat got shot. Lucky day for Sorcha to be rescued
I can’t imagine how terrible it must have been for her. 🙁
Glad she’s doing much better. Hope she find her forever home soon.
Thank you <3
Who would do such a terrible thing ???
thank god she is safe. what’s wrong with people who like to shoot at innocent animals? air guns should be banned.
Sadly there is much evil in humanity as there is good. :/
Things like this always remind me of an old anime in which hell wages war against heaven. Each side trying to convince humanity to be on their side creating a good and a dark side.
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