A CAT-LOVING couple were horrified to discover their ten-month-old kitten had been shot with an air rifle.

Robert Miller and Katie Fowler, of Dallington Road, Hove, arrived home to find their beloved pet, Jem, struggling to walk.

Robert, 34, said: “She was limping around the house and definitely unhappy, we didn’t know what had happened but assumed she’d been in a fight.”

The worried couple took the cat to an emergency vet where the she was given pain relief and antibiotics, but they had to wait a while longer to find out what was causing little Jem’s pain.

“We had to take her to our vet on Portland Road first thing in the morning,” explained Mr Miller.

“They took her straight in for an x-ray and told us afterwards the pellet showed up immediately, like a beacon.

“When we received the call from them to say she had been shot we were devastated, shocked and appalled that someone had done this to our beautiful Jem.”

The kitten was rushed into emergency surgery to enable vets to remove the pellet as quickly as possible.

“We were both really afraid this could have seriously injured her and that she might not make it,” said Mr Miller.

“It was such a relief to hear back from the vets that the operation went well.

“She’s such a friendly and loving kitten that we just can’t comprehend why someone would do this to her.”

The cat owners contacted Sussex Police and the RSPCA after finding Jem injured on Sunday, June 3 but were told therewas not enough evidence to pursue the matter.

Mr Miller’s partner, Ms Fowler, 31, has also written to Hove and Portslade MP Peter Kyle to bring the matter to his attention.

In the letter she said: “We are somewhat disappointed with the response from the police.

“While I understand that there have been cutbacks for police forces, this was an illegal use of a weapon in a highly populated area with lots of families and countless pets.”

She also asked that Mr Kyle consider taking the matter forward in terms of the legislation surrounding the use of air rifles and push for the licensing of such weapons, or even an outright ban.

Peter Kyle’s office responded and said they would be writing to the police to ask what more could be done about the incident.

Jem the kitten is now out of danger and recovering at home with her sister Scout, although their owners are now reluctant to let the cats out of the house for fear of anything happening to them.

Francesca Braid, clinical director at Acorn Veterinary Surgery, Portland Road, Hove said: “We were all so shocked, it was so awful.

“We all have cats and it’s such a horrible thought that someone would do this.

“It’s the first incident like this I’ve dealt with at this surgery, but it’s more common than you think.

“The pellet entered the kitten’s skin from the top of her shoulder and sat by her elbow. If she had been shot from the side, it would have been fatal.”

Sussex Police said: “At 2.05pm on Monday, June 4 we received a report that a kitten had sustained a wound from an air rifle pellet.

“An estimated date or time for the incident was not supplied. No arrests have been made.”