Hunt on for cat shooter

By Alison Noonan
A PET cat is lucky to be alive after being shot in the head while asleep on its owner’s backyard verandah.
The air rifle pellet hit Siamese cat Djinn Djinn between his nose and right eye as he lay at the Cranbourne property about 6am last Tuesday.
The bullet splintered when it hit the two-year-old’s skull before lodging in the back of his jaw.
Vets operated to save the ex-show cat, who was on the verge of death when owner Daphne NcNeill brought him in.
“He suffered a lot of head trauma and swelling to the brain,” Keysborough Veterinary Practice owner Chris Boemo said.
“We were initially concerned that he had been hit by a car but X-rays revealed he had been shot.
“We operated for 45 minutes to remove the bullet together with fragments of the bullet that had broken off as it hit the cat’s skull.”
Mr Boemo said he was still waiting for the bleeding to subside to determine whether Djinn Djinn would regain his sight.
“His condition has improved significantly but his eye is still bruised and there is a lot of blood in the chamber of his eye,” he said.
“We still don’t know if he will be able to see out of his right eye again.
“He is a young cat so he has the resilience of youth on his side. We are very grateful he came through.
“It could have been a lot worse if it was closer to his brain. He would have died,” he said.
Ms McNeill said she the callous shooting of her beloved pet horrified her.
“My pets are my family. They mean the world to me,” she said.
“I just don’t understand how someone could be so heartless and cold blooded.
“It is just disgusting.”
Ms McNeill said she had no idea why anyone would want to harm her pets, who were good natured and most often confined inside her house.
“I don’t normally let them outside the house but lately I have been letting them outside for half an hour in the morning while I have a coffee,” she said.
“That morning I left them outside while I had a shower and when I came out he was covered in blood.
“I was sick. I thought I was going to faint.
“I couldn’t believe it. I don’t have any enemies. What could warrant something like this?” she said.
Ms McNeill pleaded for anyone who may have seen or heard anything on the morning of the attack to come forward.
“I don’t want this to become a trend where disgruntled neighbours go around shooting cats.
“I want to find who did this to my Djinn Djinn,” she said.
RSPCA Senior Inspector Catherine Smith described the attack as ‘hideous and shocking’ and said the organisation was taking the matter very seriously.
“There are two categories of animal cruelty, negligence and overt acts of cruelty.
“The overt acts of cruelty are the most shocking because there is just no excuse. It is an intentional act simply to hurt the animal,” she said.
Ms Smith said the RSPCA would be knocking on doors in the area to gather clues for their investigation.
“We are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
“Animal cruelty is a very serious act which, under the prevention of cruelty to animals act, carries a maximum penalty of $12,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment,” she said.
Cranbourne police are also investigating.