Fears gunman is targeting cats in village after pet shot with air rifle

Metro

2 days ago

A 'close-knit' village has been rocked after a family's adored pet cat was shot by an air rifle.
Vicki Waskett's beloved cat Bella was gunned down 'in broad daylight' on May 22 and needed emergency surgery to stay alive.
Residents of the sleepy village of Wendlebury, outside Bicester, 'don't feel safe' as the mystery shooter remains on the loose.
Bella, 4, a timid half-Burmese half-tabby cat who doesn't roam far, returned home with an 'odd puncture wound' on her leg.
When blood began pouring out of her limb, Vicki, 49, rushed her to the vet, where they discovered a 1cm long bullet lodged in her.
The mum-of-two told Metro: 'I was horrified, absolutely horrified. I cried all the way home.
'They were aiming for a vital organ. I couldn't think of anybody who would want to do that. It's a village where people generally feel quite safe.
'Somebody out there close by, potentially one of our neighbours, has got evil intent.'
The vets confirmed she had been shot with an air rifle or BB gun, and once the pellet had been removed, it appeared to come from a small rifle.
Bella was left 'depressed and crying' for days before a metal rod and pins could be placed in her leg in surgery.
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The feline is slowly on the mend, but that has not stopped the incident two weeks ago from becoming the talk of the town.
Despite posting on a local Facebook page and reporting to Thames Valley Police, Vicki is still in the dark about who shot her cat.
Vicki, who owns two other cats, added: 'I actually wanted to move house after I found out.
'A couple of hours later, I thought, 'I just want to move, I don't want to live here any more.'
'I don't think I will ever feel safe, because when the cats go out, I will always be a bit more nervous.
'I hope whoever did this feels a bit ashamed at least. I really hope they feel ashamed of themselves and nothing else.'
Her 20-year-old son William has also been out knocking on doors in Wendlebury in hopes of finding answers.
Vicki believes Bella must have been shot in Wendlebury because she does not travel long distances, but is unsure whether the shooters live in the town or were just passing through.
Cat charity Cat Protection has been campaigning for the introductory licensing of air guns to stop 'cruel air gun attacks' on cats.
They told Metro there were 53 media reports of cats being shot with air guns in 2024 and already 8 so far this year.
Their Advocacy & Campaigns Manager, Stefan Blakiston Moore, added: 'These numbers are only the tip of the iceberg. It is something that comes up a lot more than we expect.
'It is horrific. Sadly, in many situations, air gun attacks can be fatal.
'From media reports alone, around 30% of those that were reported across the UK were fatal.
'Cats Protection has been calling for licensing of air guns. More Trending
'Essentially, in England and Wales, anyone over the age of, age of 18 can go out and buy one of these weapons unchecked.
'Sadly, that does mean these weapons are sometimes in the hands of the wrong people who are wishing to do harm to people's pets.'
Thames Valley Police told Metro: 'The force was called on 25 May to report that a vet had said a cat in their care may have been shot with an air rifle or bb gun in the village of Wendlebury.
'If anyone saw anyone with an air rifle or BB gun in the village on that morning, please contact the force by calling 101 or our website, quoting investigation number INC-20250525-1857.'
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