Fears after spate of cat shootings in Rushden

Gill McBride's 10-year-old cat Jerimiah is believed to be one of several cats shot at with a pellet gun in Rushden recently.

Jerimiah was found by a neighbour on November 24 and when they got him home, they noticed he was struggling with a limp leg.

Gill took him to the vet, where they discovered he had been shot by a pellet gun.

She said: "We thought he had been hit by a car but there were no outward tell-tale signs.

"They did an x-ray and found two pellets but only one entry wound.

"They think he was shot at close range."

It is still not known whether Jerimiah's injuries will mean he needs to have his tail and possibly his leg amputated too.

After posting about the attack on Facebook, Gill has been inundated with messages of support and a fundraising page set up in case the cat needed life-saving surgery has raised more than £1,100.

It has also prompted numerous owners to come forward saying their cats have suffered similar attacks in Rushden.

Gill believes there have been at least four or five incidents in the town, with locations including Raglan Close, Washbrook Road near the fire station and just off Newton Road near the cemetery.

Gill reported Jerimiah's attack to the police, but despite people contacting her about other incidents, police have said this is the only one they are aware of.

A spokesman for the East Northants Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "We have only received one report of a cat being shot in Rushden, and would therefore urge anyone who has not reported such an incident to do so.

"Unless people report all such incidents to us, we don’t have a true picture of the extent of the problem.

"Anyone with information or who may have witnessed this incident, please call Northamptonshire Police on 101."

Gill is now urging people to report any attacks to help police with their investigation and added: "Someone has to do something about it."

To see Jerimiah's fundraising page go to https://gogetfunding.com/save-jerry-the-cats-life-after-he-was-shot/