A CAT is getting use to life on three legs after a bone was shattered by an airgun pellet near Malpas.
Four-year-old Stampy had to have one of his limbs amputated following the attack earlier this month.
His owner, Jo Godsall, is a vet in Hampton Veterinary Centre - part of the Willows Veterinary Group - in Hampton Heath near Malpas and she carried out the surgery on Stampy.
Jo said nothing could be done to save the feline's leg but also added cats are resilient animals.
She added: "My husband is also a vet and we noticed something was wrong with Stampy's elbow.
"X-rays revealed it was completely shattered to smithereens and while there was no sign of a pellet embedded in his leg, there were fragments of bone consistent with the impact of being shot with a pellet gun.
"I carried out the amputation surgery on him myself as unfortunately, there was nothing more that could be done to save his leg.
"But we're almost three weeks post surgery now and he's already bounding around like nothing ever happened.
"Cats are very resilient and are able to cope perfectly well with just three limbs."
It is not the first time Jo has operated on one of her own pets and she has found her job handy as she has many animals who live on her small holding.
However, she said it is the first time she has had to treat a pet injured by someone else.
MORE NEWS:
- How app creator is helping people find their way thanks to new Ordnance Survey deal
- Pair jailed for stealing more than £3,000 of booze during three-month spree
- Raymond Briggs, illustrator of The Snowman, has died aged 88
She explained: "Sadly you can't do anything about the stupidity of others who think it's ok to harm animals with weapons.
"Luckily Stampy is doing well, it could have been a lot worse.
"But people need to realise the consequences of their actions and the harm it can cause to pets and their owners."
Earlier this year, Willows vets had to remove a cat's eye after it was shot twice in the face with staff warning such incidents are not as rare as people think.
The RSPCA and Cats Protection have long been calling for a licensing system in England and Wales to help prevent animal attacks.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here