Ludlow owners shocked as cat Oscar found with 45 shotgun pellets scattered all over his body

Eight-year-old Oscar was taken to the vets before Christmas after his owner Mike Cooke noticed he was breathing heavily and off his food.

X-rays were performed and revealed numerous pellets scattered all over Oscar's body, including one in his nose which was affecting his ability to eat.

Mr Cooke said that, worryingly, Oscar must have been shot in a residential area as he does not stray far from their home in Bringewood Road.

Mr Cooke said: "He was having problems and making a terrible noise breathing. Initially it was diagnosed as a cold but it just went on.

"Eventually he had an X-ray and we were quite surprised to discover he had been shot.

"It must have happened very, very near the house which is really concerning.

"It is quite a built-up area and there are a lot of children around here."

To Mr Cooke's relief, Oscar, a former stray who he described as a "very soft cat who loves attention from anybody", is now back home and is expected to make a full recovery.

Oscar has been part of the family since arriving on their doorstep in France eight years ago, and came with them to Ludlow when they relocated there in 2018.

Astonished

Vet Iain Prentice treated Oscar at the Teme Veterinary Practice until he was well enough to return home.

He said: "Oscar was brought to us not eating and with noisy nasal breathing.

"We suspected that he might have a foreign body but were astonished to find on X-rays under anaesthetic that he had multiple pieces of lead shot in his body – 45 in all – including one apparently in his right nasal cavity.

"We tried unsuccessfully to remove this by flushing, but fortunately for now Oscar has improved really well on medication, so we are watching his progress carefully.

"If his nose becomes a problem again we may have to refer him to a specialist to attempt removal of the shot from his nose with an endoscope."

The vets believe Oscar was shot with a shotgun, using light weight shot designed for shooting birds.

Mr Cooke now wants to warn other pet owners in the area and has reported the incident to the police.

Anyone with information is urged to contact 101 citing incident number 273S of January 7.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org