A cat was left with gruesome injuries after it was shot in the eye.

Scooby, a seven-year-old male white tabby and white cat, had his left eye removed after going missing from his address in Bridges Drive, Temple Hill.

He was found in a neighbour's shed three days later with a badly injured eye having been shot at close range.

His owner, Jeanette, said she knew something was wrong when Scooby didn’t return home that evening because he doesn’t usually stray far from where he lives.

Jeanette contacted her local council to find out if there were any reports of road traffic accidents involving cats, but none matched Scooby’s description.

“I can’t believe someone would do this to an animal, it’s heartbreaking.” - Jeanette, Scooby's owner

She asked her neighbours if they had seen Scooby, and he was finally found in her neighbour’s garden shed around 10.30pm last Tuesday (11 August).

Scooby was taken to the Celia Hammond Animal Trust vet in Lewisham where unfortunately he had to have his left eye completely removed.

He is now back home and on the road to recovery, but will need to return for regular check-ups as the vet was unable to remove the pellet from his head.

Jeanette said: “I can’t believe someone would do this to an animal, it’s heartbreaking.”

RSPCA Inspector Anthony Pulfer said: “We would like to hear from anyone who has any information on who shot poor Scooby.

“Unfortunately these kind of brutal attacks happen far too often - cats and wildlife seem to be most vulnerable simply because they are out there in the open and perpetrators can be difficult to trace.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 123 8018.