Cat found with broken leg in Leeds village after surviving multiple airgun shootings as RSPCA issues appeal

Nine-year-old Muffin was found by a member of the public in their garden in Allerton Bywater with a broken leg after having survived multiple airgun shootings.

Unable to bear the weight on her left hind leg, she was rushed for emergency veterinary treatment where X-rays revealed the limb had been shattered in two places.

Veterinarians also found an airgun pellet by her knee joint and near her back, along with another one in her stomach which is likely to have been there for some time because of the layer of fat around it, the RSPCA said.

The vets pinned and plated Muffin's leg and successfully removed one of the pellets, and she has been on pain medication and antibiotics since returning home.

Her owners, who live in the village, said she is back to her normal self, although she is not allowed to jump because of the surgery.

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The RSPCA said the number of reported incidents involving cats being targeted with airguns, slingshots/catapults and crossbows doubled in the first six months of 2024, with 44 cases being reported compared to 18 in the same period last year.

Data also reveals that between 2020 and 2023, there were a total of 896 incidents reported to the charity involving weapons affecting all types of animals, with 31 incidents occurring in West Yorkshire during that time.

West Yorkshire RSPCA Inspector Adam Dickinson said: “These types of incidents are very worrying and leave other people feeling anxious that their pets or even their children could be hurt.

“It’s unspeakably cruel and totally unacceptable to shoot animals for ‘fun’ like this, or to harm them for target practice, but sadly, we receive hundreds of reports every year.

“Cats like Muffin often sustain life-changing injuries - commonly blindness - from being shot with a weapon or in some cases don’t not survive at all.”

He continued: “However, we believe the numbers we hear about only show part of the problem as not all cases will be reported to us and there may be situations where animals injured and killed by these weapons are sadly never found - especially in the case of wildlife.

“We’re so pleased that Muffin is making good progress and we’d urge anyone with first-hand information about this incident to get in touch with the RSPCA.”

The animal welfare charity is urging anyone with information about the attack to contact its appeals line on 0300 123 8018 quoting reference number 01357492.