Six-month-old kitten Pixie shot in the leg with air weapon prompts RSPCA Cambridge and District appeal

A six-month-old kitten that was shot in the leg with an air weapon is being cared for by the RSPCA Cambridge & District Branch.

Pixie was found injured on 4 March in the vicinity of Fordham Road in Soham.

She was rushed to a nearby vet for urgent treatment, before being handed over to the RSPCA.

Vets at Cambridge University Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital operated on her right hind leg on 7 March, successfully repairing it and removing the pellet at a cost of £700 - a rate reduced thanks to the branch’s partnership with the vet school.

Pixie was cared for at the hospital and is now improving, with care from an RSPCA branch foster carer.

Rosemary Rodd, a trustee for the branch, said: “Poor Pixie is doing well despite everything she has been through. We hope that her broken leg will heal with cage rest and time and lots of TLC.

“It is shocking to think that someone has done this to poor Pixie and it's hard to understand how anyone could target a defenseless animal like this.

“Pixie is lucky in one sense as this pellet did not cause her more serious injuries as it could even have been fatal.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are investigating this sad incident, and would urge anyone with information to call the inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018 quoting incident 01465812.”

The RSPCA receives almost 1,000 calls to investigate cases and help animals that are the victims of air gun attacks.

The injuries can be horrific and often fatal.

The spokesman added: “We want to see a world where every kind of animal is treated with compassion and respect and deliberate and brutal acts of cruelty should be consigned to the past.

“We continue to call for tighter controls on air weapons. This, along with better education and explanation of the law when buying an air weapon , and requirements that everyone must receive basic safety training before being allowed to walk out of the shop could help relieve the problem.”

To support the work of the RSPCA Cambridge and District Branch, visit rspca-cambridge.org.uk/clinic.html.