Payback time for owners of cats shot by airguns

Oct 23 2008 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

THE owners of two cats that were shot with airguns in near fatal attacks are raising funds for the charity which footed their £4000 vet bills.

Brother and sister Gizmo and Tootsie were lucky to survive after they were targeted within a month of each other as they wandered near their home in Whitburn.

Both cats were taken to the Edinburgh People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Pet Aid hospital where they required surgery to save their lives.

Gizmo was hit by two pellets, one of which caused so much internal damage a kidney was removed to save his life.

Tootsie was struck by four pellets, one which caused a severe leg fracture.

The pair have since recovered but their injuries took weeks to heal and Tootsie had to spend months in a cage for her broken leg to heal properly.

Now Eileen Leckie, 32, who owns the cats with her husband Peter, 38, and their 11-year-old daughter Jordana are planning to raise money for the PDSA.

The family are hoping to take part in a sponsored skydive event so the charity can continue to help sick pets whose owners can’t afford private vet bills.

Eileen said: “I have so much admiration for the PDSA and the work they do. The PDSA surgeon at Edinburgh PetAid hospital managed to keep both cats alive despite their horrific injuries.

“Senior veterinary surgeon Stuart McMorrow said it was one of the worst airgun injuries he had ever seen. He gave Gizmo odds of about zilch of making it through surgery but thanks to Stuart and his team’s great effort he did.

“All of the staff at the hospital have been fantastic, working tirelessly behind the scenes. I can’t thank them enough.”

And the Leckie family warned other pet owners in West Lothian of the dangers of airguns.

Eileen continued: “It’s been heartbreaking to see Gizmo and Tootsie go through the ordeal.

“I would urge anyone buying or using airguns or similar items to be careful. In this case, even one pellet caused a lot of damage and could have led to the loss of two very beloved family pets.”

Gizmo, six, managed to make his way home after he was shot in June.

The couple noticed he was not his usual self and took him to the Edinburgh PDSA Pet Aid hospital.

Senior veterinary surgeon Stuart McMorrow discovered a wound on Gizmo's right side and an X-ray revealed it had been caused by an air-gun pellet, which was lodged in his abdomen while another pellet was in the cat's left leg.

The cat had to undergo an operation to remove both pellets and was kept in intensive care.

A month later, three-year-old Tootsie went missing. The family dog Daisy tracked the cat's trail and led Peter to the place where she was cowering under a bush with an injured leg.

She was taken to Edinburgh Pet Aid hospital and X-rays revealed four airgun pellets, one in the left leg, causing a fracture, another on the side of the chest and two lodged in between the right knee and hip.

The pet had to endure two operations to repair the damage.

After the operation in July, Tootsie was confined to a cage to stop her from displacing her leg, and was only well enough to come out earlier this month.