RESCUERS of an injured cat found near Lifford were horrified when x-rays revealed that the cat had been shot in the face.
Two volunteers from Donegal charity Animals In Need (AIN) spotted the cat whilst they were carrying out routine Trap/Neuter/Return of feral cats in the area.
Named Tamara by her rescuers, it turned out that the cat had been a pet until her owners moved away and left her behind to fend for herself a few months ago.
The Animal In Need volunteers noticed that she was in poor condition generally, was extremely emaciated, suffering from cat flu and one side of her face appeared to be caved in and so they quickly caught her and brought her to the vets for assessment, where the full extent of the horrors this poor cat had endured were exposed.
A shocked spokesperson said “An x-ray at the vets showed metal shards in her jaw. No injury we can think of would present with metal fragments in the jaw apart from her having been shot in the face.
“Sadly, only today there were reports of cats being shot at in the Ardara area. Tamara is not from this area but seems to have been deliberately shot at too. How can anyone do that?’
“It was bad enough that Tamara had been abandoned by her previous owners and was struggling to survive by herself, but for someone to then shoot her, defies belief.”
Thankfully Tamara, as she has been named, is recovering well from her injuries.
Animals In Need added that no only was the shooting an act of deliberate cruelty, it was a crime.
“We understand that not everyone likes cats but that is no excuse to harm them, whether that be by shooting them, poisoning them or any other means. We recently heard a whole colony of feral cats we’d neutered in Ballintra has been wiped out through poisoning.”
The laying of poisoned bait is illegal and anyone breaking this law faces a fine of up to €5,000 or a year in prison or both.
Meanwhile, it is hoped that Tamara’s run of bad luck is finally over.
Her fosterer at the Animals In Need cattery revealed, “She is now safe and will be getting lots of TLC while she recovers. Despite everything, she is a sweet little girl and once she is better, she will be found a nice, safe home where she will get the love she deserves and will never be abandoned again.”
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