A woman is appealing for help in tracing the culprits who shot her beloved pet cat with an air rifle.

Jennifer Cross returned to her home on Wetherby Way, Little Sutton , on Sunday October 4 to discover her ginger tomcat George collapsed in pain, bleeding and unable to use his back right leg.

When she took him to the vets, an X-Ray showed George had an air rifle pellet in his lower spinal chord and he had to have an operation to remove it.

Jennifer, 28, said: “He came home briefly on Wednesday with a bag of tablets. The vet said I had to keep him resting for the next month, complete physio exercises daily and to monitor that he was able to go to the toilet daily - if not to take him in again. By Thursday I had to take him back as he hadn’t been able to go to the toilet, after which they had to knock him out and catheterise him which he absolutely hated.

George the cat from Little Sutton was shot with an air rifle

“At the moment, the positive is that the movement and sensation in his leg and tail is starting to come back. The vets have been great and I’ve had lots of lovely messages off neighbours including some I haven’t met, who love George visiting them and wishing him well.”

So far Jennifer, who has reported the matter to the police, has been landed with a £5,500 vet bill for George but she says the most important thing is that the same thing doesn’t happen to anyone else’s pets.

“This has been a horrible week and the vets are unable to say what the outcome will be,” she said. “I really want to ask for help if anyone saw anything as I think the world of George and I’m devastated by what he has had to go through.

“I also find it very worrying some is wandering around with an air rifle on a Sunday afternoon shooting pets and I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. So far his vet treatment has involved being knocked out four times and in total is the bill is at present £4,700!

If you have any information contact Cheshire police on 101