The owner of a cat who was shot and left for dead says her family are "heartbroken" a part of their family has been killed.

Sonia Primett, from Newington near Sittingbourne, received a knock on the door from a neighbour giving her the devastating news that their one-year-old feline Poppy was lying in nearby woods.

Poppy, a cross breed between a birman and an Egyptian species, was taken to Newnham Court Vets in Maidstone who who told the family she had died as a result of at least one gunshot to the head.

She is also believed to have suffered further traumas including being kicked more than 20 metres from where she was shot.

Mrs Primett, along with her husband Jamie, bought Poppy when she was just 14-weeks-old as a birthday present for their seven-year-old daughter, Jessica, in October 2021.

The 37-year-old said: "Our neighbour knocked on the door to say he thought he may have found Poppy dead.

"At this point I was shaking because he told us she was dumped in a bush in the woods about 15 minutes away from the house and really perfectly placed.

"When we took her to the vets after she died to give her a look over, they said there was a BB hole through the side of her nose which would have been caused by one to three shots.

"Blood was then splattered, along with some of her hair, 23 metres up the path, which is consistent with more abuse after she was shot."

Mrs Primett admits the loss of their feline friend has now left a gaping hole in the family which will never be replaced after her death earlier this month.

She added: "She has been Jessica's best friend and my alarm clock in the mornings, and when she doesn’t come in at night she is waiting outside on the doorstep at 6.30 in the morning telling us to get up.

"Her markings were so distinctive and her fur so soft and fluffy that everyone thought she was beautiful.

"Poppy would hear our car pull up on the drive when we came home from school and would be at the bottom of the stairs waiting.

"When we open a can of tuna we'd always give her a little bit, so it's things like that and her empty bowls and scratching posts which make the whole house feel empty.

"So we're heartbroken and miss her terribly - she's not just a cat either as some people would say - she's a part of our family who has been killed.

"There's also the anger side too because all we can think is what kind of sick person does this? Someone has hurt our daughter and caused her so much pain.

"These people and their families should be named and shamed because things like this start at home, and isn't just something minor - they have killed a part of our family and people with morals don't do that."

Air rifles are illegal without a reasonable excuse in public places in the UK, making them only permitted in areas where users have full permission to shoot such as gardens or private land.

However, no arrests have been made for Poppy's death.

A police spokesman said: "We received a call at 6.32pm on May 6 reporting that a cat had been found deceased near Orchard Drive, Newington, Sittingbourne, with what appeared to be a shot wound to its face, believed to be caused by an air weapon.

"The incident is believed to have happened between 6pm on 5 May and 3pm on 6 May.

"No suspects were identified, however should further information come to light then relevant enquiries will be made."

The incident was the first of at least two shootings aimed at cats in the village this month.

Resident Sophia Valentina Beacon says her cat, Scottish fold Aslan, was also left with severe injuries although survived after suffering a fractured leg last weekend.

The 30-year-old explained: "Aslan rushed in the house and tried to go upstairs and get comfortable, but couldn't do either.

"We then noticed his really bloody wound and rushed him to the emergency vets later that day.

"He then stayed overnight after being given painkillers initially and still wouldn't let anyone get near his leg - which ended up being confirmed as fractured.

"He still has the pellet in his muscle too, but it's quite risky to get it removed because of the high risk of nerve damage.

"Thankfully he's taking it in his stride being the chilled cat he is, and is healing really well."

Director of Animals Lost and found in Kent, Natasha McPhee, acknowledges the issue is one which is growing in severity.

She added: "This has been an ever-growing problem in Kent.

"A lot of catapult and air rifle shootings are happening more over the years, but I'm unsure why - maybe a lack of empathy towards animals from humans.

"It's not right or fair to shoot an animal and that animal then wandering off in absolute agony."