A CAT was lucky to escape with all nine lives in tact after she was shot by an air rifle.

Heartbroken Trish Caller, who lives in Rowbarton, knew there was something wrong when she came home on Thursday lunchtime to no sign of her cat, Miss Peggy.

Mrs Caller said Peggy usually comes in when she hears she has come home but despite looking for her, the cat was nowhere to be seen until she came home shortly after 7pm.

“She came through the back door and just collapsed on the carpet and had her four legs all spread out which is very unusual for a cat to do,” the mum of two said. “She felt really cold, so we rushed her to the vets and around an hour later, they told us they had carried out an X-Ray and found she had been shot.”

Tone Vets at Norton Fitzwarren discovered Peggy had been shot by an air rifle.

The pellet entered Peggy’s left side, before going through her chest and lodging itself in her right armpit.

It narrowly missed her heart and her condition was touch and go throughout the evening.

She managed to pull through and went home on Friday, but is still in a lot of pain.

Now Trish and her husband Al are desperate to find who did this to stop it happening to anyone else.

She thanked everyone for their support on social media and added: “I was in absolute shock, the blood froze in my veins , anyone who knows me knows how much we love Peggy and how important she is to our family.

“When you get a cat with such a brilliant personality, it’s just horrific.

“I am shocked that someone has done this.

“Someone must know something, because of the time of day it happened, I believe someone would have seen or heard something.

“We want to find whoever is responsible for this and stop it happening to anyone else.”

Avon and Somerset Police are investigating the matter.

A spokesman said: “We have filed the matter pending any further information or evidence coming forward.

"Anyone able to help with our enquiries should call 101 and quote 5217 077078.”