A LEEDS veterinary practice is warning cat owners to be extra vigilant after saving the life of miracle moggy Roxy when she was shot with an air rifle. 

Vets at Beechwood Vets battled to save Roxy after she suffered horrific injuries caused by a single pellet, which went through her stomach and bowel into her small intestine, narrowly missing her lungs.

The much-loved two-year-old tabby and white cat spent nearly a week in intensive care and is lucky to be alive.

While it is not known if it was an accident or deliberate shooting, police have been notified about the incident while Roxy was briefly allowed outside at their home in Roundhay.

Now her owners, Fahim and Sabeehah Zackaria, have joined vets from Beechwood Vets in urging other cat owners to take extra care when allowing their pets outside and to contact police if they see anything suspicious.

Roxy wasn’t herself when she arrived home after going outside, but there were no signs of what vets would discover was an air rifle pellet lodged inside her.

Her owners took her to Beechwood Vets’ practice at Temple House in Seacroft after becoming concerned when she became lethargic and depressed. She had also started suffering from a high fever and was breathing rapidly.

Vet Catarina Silva suspected Roxy had been shot by an air rifle because she had experience of dealing with two other cases during her career when cats showed similar signs.

Roxy underwent digital x-rays, which confirmed Catarina’s concerns, and was sent for life-saving surgery by surgeon Neil Stoddard, who found the pellet had penetrated her intestine in seven places and lodged in her stomach.

Catarina said: “We caught things really quickly as it could have been a much worse outcome for Roxy if she hadn’t been brought in. She was hit just behind her ribs and there was no choice but to operate and it has saved her life.

“ I tried to reassure her owners, but there was no guarantee she would survive. She has been very lucky and we’re delighted that this has been a positive outcome for everyone.

“It is hard to say if she was shot deliberately or accidentally and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We contacted police and we would ask cat owners to be cautious and to contact their vet if their pet acts unusually or shows signs of being in pain. We would like to encourage people to report any incidents to the police so there is a log of it and speak to neighbours to ask if they have seen anything.

“I’ve seen this type of incident three times as a vet. One cat died on its way to the practice and luckily the other two survived, so it does happen.”

Roxy’s owners are delighted to have their pet home after a harrowing few weeks while vets checked her recovery.

Mr Zackaria said: “She is doing really well and the vets have done an amazing job to get her back to health. It was a terrible shock when we discovered what had happened to her and it is a miracle she’s still here. I think Catarina the vet could see pain in her face and we were surprised when she asked if there had been any incidents near us of pets being shot with air rifles. It never occurred to us that she could have been shot and this is one of the hardest things we’ve had to deal with.

“It was upsetting as we knew there was a chance she might not pull through, but her recovery has been exceptional and she’s doing really well. I can’t thank Catarina and the rest of the team enough for everything they’ve done.”