West Lothian cat blasted by shotgun

Oct 22 2009 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

A YOUNG cat needed three weeks of intensive vet care after being blasted in a shotgun attack.

Pepper went missing from his home in Globe Park, Broxburn, on September 11, and wasn’t seen again until September 15 when he bravely crawled through a catflap in a nearby house.

The householder rushed the three-year-old cat to the emergency vet in Livingston for treatment and his owners Emily Noble and Lee Cockburn were told he was seriously hurt.

Emily told the Courier this week: “When the vet first examined Pepper he thought he had been hit by a car because he had injuries to his face, jaw and legs.

“We took him to our own vet but Pepper’s injuries were too severe for them to treat so we took him to the Small Animal Hospital in Penicuik.

“When he had an x-ray done they could tell it was shotgun injuries he had suffered because they could see the shrapnel.

“Pepper had to have part of his jaw removed and had other injuries to his face and legs as a result of the incident.

“He was only allowed home at the weekend because he has a wound on his leg which has taken a long time to heal.”

Emily said she and Lee were appalled when they realised what had happened to their pet.

However, they fear he may not be the only cat in the area who has been attacked.

She said: “We were really angry and upset because whoever did this to Pepper clearly intended to kill him because the shots were fired at close range.

“We think he was shot on Saturday or Sunday and then lay somewhere hiding for a few days before he managed to get to a nearby house and crawled into the catflap there.

“The police said they don’t know of other cases like this in Broxburn but there have been a few cats which have gone missing.

“What worries me is that they have maybe been shot or attacked and haven’t been found by their owners.”

Fortunately, Pepper is now on the mend and will soon be out and about.

Emily says despite the cost of his treatment, she and Lee had to do everything they could to save their pet.

“Pepper has needed a lot of treatment, which has been expensive.

“However, he is a young cat and there was no way we would have given up on him after him crawling to get help,” she said.

“He is doing well and despite the injuries to his jaw, he is able to eat normally.

“Hopefully he’ll be fully back to normal within a couple of weeks.”

Police are now appealing for information on the attack on Pepper.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information on it should contact Broxburn Police Station on 01506 852121, or contact Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.