Pet cat left partially blind after being shot in head in Grantham

The owner of a family cat who was shot in the head with an air rifle last week has revealed that the six-year-old cat has been left partially blind in the attack.

On Monday, the Journal reported that the family cat had spent the weekend fighting for its life after it was found injured and distressed in the Malthouse industrial estate, Springfield Road, last Friday.

Matt Key, a director of MK Mobile Refinishing, discovered Ellie when he was on site at Paul Garton Accident repair centre in the Old Malthouse.

He said: “The cat had somehow found its way through the door and into the unit. We realised it was blind and in trouble when it kept walking around in circles in the workshop and was attracted to the sound of our dust extractors.

“We gave it some milk and Paul took it to the vets to see if it was microchipped.

“I had already posted a picture on a pets lost and found group on Facebook earlier that morning, which proved a very useful group as one of the neighbours had identified the cat and had also contacted the owner.”

Police say that the six-year-old cat had been shot with pellets, thought to be those used in an air rifle.

Ellie’s owner, Camilla Horsfall, of Walton Gardens, Grantham, is keen to warn other cat owners in the area.

She said: “I let Ellie out on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t out of character for her to stay out longer especially as the weather has been quite warm recently, so I wasn’t too concerned when she didn’t return.”

However Camilla, 32, started to get worried when Ellie still hadn’t been home by Thursday.

It wasn’t until Friday morning that Camilla, who has had Ellie since she was a kitten, received a call from the vets to say that Ellie had been found earlier that morning.

Camilla, who works as a surveyor for a legal firm, added: “The people that found her very kindly took her to the vets so her microchip could be scanned. I was at work so my partner went to collect her.”

But no sooner had he got her home, Ellie started to fit and walk around in circles.

He rushed her back to the vet where they took an X-ray and discovered that she had been shot in the head with pellets.

One of the pellets had broken up in Ellie’s brain behind her left eye, whereas the other part was sat on the optic nerve.

By this time, Ellie was unresponsive and the vets were worried that she wouldn’t survive the night.

But to everyone’s amazement, Ellie started eating and moving around after a few days of being on steroids and pain killers.

Camilla was able to finally bring her home on Wednesday.

But Ellie, who has completely lost her sight in her left eye and can only partially see from her right eye has got a long road ahead of her.

Camilla added: “It has been a nerve racking few days as we can’t help but watch her more closely especially as she still likes to jump off furniture.

“I have had Ellie and her sister Gwendoline since they just eight-weeks-old. They are great comfort and company. I can’t believe someone has been so cruel.

“Police believe someone either on Walton Gardens or Springfield Road shot at her using an air rifle from an upstairs window.”

A police spokesman said: “A cat was found in a disused building in The Maltings, Grantham, at 7am on October 12.

“The cat had been shot in the head and scans showed pellets, similar to air rifle pellets.

“It is believed that this took place between Walton Gardens and The Maltings.

“Anyone with information should call 101, quoting Incident 286 of October 12.”