SOMEBODY who seriously wounded a family cat by shooting her with an air rifle could face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to £20,000 if he injured the animal on purpose.

Lidia and Ian Carp were distraught when two-year-old tabby Fluffy staggered into their home in Thurlbear with terrible injuries at 9.30pm on Friday, September 6.

Mr Carp said: “The wound was in her stomach. Her insides were hanging out.

“My wife was getting the kids to say goodbye as we didn’t think she would make it.

“We phoned the emergency number for the vet and took the cat up to an animal centre in Bridgend, south Wales.”

The vet said there was no guarantee Fluffy, who had suffered an entry and an exit wound, would pull through, but they refused to have her put down.

Instead, the cat was operated on and was kept in for three days before being allowed home.

Mr Carp said: “Things are looking good for her now. She has always been a free spirit but I don’t know what she will be like once recovered “We don’t know whether this was done deliberately but whoever did it must have been a good shot to hit her at the time of night.”

RSPCA inspector Jo Daniel has appealed for anyone with information about the incident to report it to the charity’s inspectorate on 0300-1238018.

She said: “We want to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard anything which might help us find out what happened to Fluffy.

“This was obviously very upsetting for the whole family, but I am pleased to hear Fluffy is recovering well.

“Under the Animal Welfare Act, if someone is caught deliberately using an air weapon to injure an animal, they could face a £20,000 fine and/or up to six months in prison.”