Pet Cat Found With Gunshot Wounds Near Cemetery By Dog Walker, Feline Euthanized

An investigation was launched after a dog walker found a pet cat with gunshot wounds near a cemetery in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on Sunday.

The dog walker found the wounded cat on the road and immediately informed the feline’s owner who rushed the animal to a nearby veterinary hospital. However, despite best efforts, the cat had to be put down. An examination revealed the cat was injured by shotgun pellets.

The cat’s owner notified the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who launched an investigation.

Confirming the incident, Inspector Karen Cooper said, "The male black cat was found by a dog walker on a path west of Fettercairn, close to the cemetery. The member of the public who discovered the cat located his owner who immediately took him for veterinary treatment. At that time it was unclear what was wrong, however, further investigation revealed he had been injured by shotgun pellets. Unfortunately, the cat was too badly wounded and the sad decision was made to put him to sleep."

"We are concerned this was a deliberate attempt to injure, or kill, a cat which is a criminal offense. We are keen to find out what happened. If anyone can help with our enquiry, we would urge them to call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999,” Cooper added.

In a similar incident in Ireland over the weekend, a pet cat was found shot dead near a home. Grace Newell, the cat’s owner, found the feline, named Simba, dead, a few feet from the back door. She, however, hid the news from her children and sent them to school telling them their pet was “asleep.”

"I found Simba lying dead less than 40 feet from our back door. I had to send my three children to school letting on she was asleep. I thought she had maybe been hit by a car and was trying to make her way home but when we lifted her we knew that wasn't the case. The vet confirmed that she had been shot. Now shooting a cat, a child's pet and family member is bad enough but to do so basically outside the back door where they were playing a few hours before is just vile and irresponsible,” Newell said.