Cats are frequently subjected to airgun attack

An 18-month-old boy who was shot in the head with an airgun in his Birmingham home died in hospital earlier in September. Rashid Ullah was shot in the garden of his home in Washwood Heath.

It is believed one of his sisters accidentally shot him after picking up the airgun, which her father had been using for target practice.

After Rashid was injured, his family released a statement which said: "We hope anyone who has an air weapon realises how dangerous these guns can be."

RSPCA reports
The RSPCA to urge people to report gun incidents. In 2007, the RSPCA's North Region received a total of 197 calls regarding airgun incidents and its East Region received a total of 118 calls. These included 76 calls in the North and 50 calls in the East.

Superintendent Martyn Hubbard said: "Our figures only provide a snapshot of this issue as many more animals crawl away to die in agony from their injuries.

"Sadly not all incidents are reported to us or witnessed."

He added: "We are appealing to the public to help prevent unnecessary suffering to countless animals by reporting any witnessed incidents to us or the police."

Mr Hubbard appealed to parents not to buy their children air weapons unless they would be used under supervision.

A victim of a fatal air gun attack was two-year-old cat Tigger, who was shot in Willenhall in the Black Country in May. The animal had to be put down after an air gun pellet lodged in its spine, paralysing it.

Local vet Julie Winfield, who treated Tigger, said: "It is sickening to see this kind of cruelty to cats but sadly this sort of case is far from uncommon.

"We have had several cats brought into the practice over the past 12 months suffering from air gun injuries."

Airgun attacks
As cats are relatively small, even compared to a small dog, they have less tissue to soak up the energy produced by the pellet, making internal damge much greater.

The first challenge for vets is locating the pellet, especially if it has entered the abdomen. Surgery is almost inevitable and sometimes a vet will find the pellet but decide to leave well alone if it is not causing a problem.

One of the greatest dangers a gun shot victim can experience is the risk of infection. In an animal this is caused by contaminated fur being pulled into the wound by the pellet entering the body. If the pellet has penetrated a ‘soft’ organ such as the liver, there is a high risk of peritonitis.

This can be fatal unless the dirt and dead tissue is removed and the wound cleaned. Intensive antibiotic treatment needs to start immediately.

Attack checklist
So what can cat owners do if they suspect their pet has been attacked?
First, try to find the point of entry.

An airgun wound is approximately 5mm in diameter and almost perfectly circular. It is an obvious ‘hole’ with a reddened or burnt edge.

Check the body and limbs for small tufts of fur which will be sprouting from the wound.

If you find a wound, contact your vet immediately to discuss yor pet’s condition.

If you can’t find a wound but your cat is showing non-specific but very severe symptoms and a change in behaviour (a lively cat will become very quiet) and not allowing their stomach to be touched, contact your vet – this could be the onset of peritonitis.

What is the current law?
Under the Firearms Act 1968, as amended by the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 and the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, it is an offence to have an air weapon (loaded or not) in a public place without a reasonable excuse.

It is also an offence for a person under the age of 18 to have an air weapon or ammunition for an air weapon in their possession without supervision of a person aged 21 or over.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal could face a maximum six-month prison sentence or a £20,000 fine.