A woman whose two cats were shot with an air rifle now fears for the safety of her two young children.

Suzie Gerety is nursing Twinkle back to health after the 18-month-old cat staggered into her home peppered with pellets.

They were lodged in her head, leg and chest.

The black and white cat was rushed to a vet for emergency treatment and had some of the pellets removed.

Mrs Gerety, who lives in Marden with husband, Kevin, and children, Finn, 18 months, and four-week-old Skye, said Twinkle was "very traumatised".

"Not long ago her brother Stripe came in limping," she said. The vet thought it was a puncture wound in his foot but a pellet was found embedded in it."

"Having one cat with a pellet in it could have been an accident but another one with five pellets shows it was malicious and intending to kill.

"My husband and I are also concerned about our children if there is someone out there with an air rifle shooting."

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