A woman has told of her horror as she found her pet cat ‘moments from being dead’ after it was shot with an air rifle.

Sarah Fricker, of Richborough Road, Westgate, found ginger moggy Jasper, hiding under the bed after the incident and had to rush him into emergency care.

It is the second time in just over a year one of her felines has been targeted and the third time bullet lead has been found in one of her pets.

The 50-year-old said: “We have definitely got someone targeting cats around here and there has been for some time.

“I have no words for someone who would want to target and shoot cats.

“The shot went straight through Jasper’s intestines but luckily he got home because I found him moments from being dead under the bed upstairs.

“We rushed him into emergency vet care and it cost more than £1,500 to sort him out.”

Because the pellet had torn through 13-year-old Jasper’s intestine there was risk of peritonitis.

A similar incident happened in April 2015 to Mrs Fricker’s cat Suki when she was repeatedly shot with an air rifle, again costing more than £1,000 in veterinary fees.

She added: “Both my cats were very lucky to have survived.

“I have no words for someone who would want to target and shoot cats..." Sarah Fricker

“I feel like there could be someone waiting for a cat to come in to their garden for the opportunity to take aim at it.

“It does worry me but I can’t do anything because it is unfair to shut them inside.”

Police spokesman Scarlet Jones said: “Kent Police received a report a cat was shot at some time between midnight and 3pm on April 25.

“It is unknown exactly where it happened, but the cat’s owner lives in Richborough Road, Westgate.

“Officers have carried out house-to-house inquires but no suspect has been identified as yet.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sergeant Stephen Moat on 01843 222289 quoting crime reference: ZY/13625/16.