Lincoln woman horrified after cat shot by air gun

A woman from Lincoln was left feeling physically sick after the vet confirmed her cat was shot with an air gun.

Emma Williams, 40, helped to rehome two rescue cats from Lincoln Cat Care in January 2019 – Linc and his sister Frankie.

Linc the cat had a lucky escape after being shot by an air gun. Photo: Emma Williams

*WARNING – DISTRESSING IMAGES IN THIS STORY*

On Sunday, June 23 Linc left home to roam around outdoors at 11am. He returned home at around 12.30pm bleeding and with a swollen eye, with Emma thinking at the time that Linc had been in a fight with another cat.

After taking him to an emergency vet at Park View in Hykeham she was horrified to learn what had actually happened to him.

Linc returned home from being outside with blood on his face. Photo: Emma Williams

Linc’s eye also started to swell up. Photo: Emma Williams

She told The Lincolnite she thinks it may have happened in the fields behind one of the churches on Skellingthorpe Road, as Linc often roams around there.

Emma said: “He came back bleeding, his eye started swelling up and he went to his bed and wouldn’t let us near him initially. He let us stroke him, but he didn’t want his eye area touched so we took him to the vets.

The vet removed this pellet. Photo: Emma Williams

“The vet looked at him and said it was a puncture wound and that he’d been shot with an air gun. He pulled the pellet out after sedating him and flushed the wound clean.

“When the vet told me it was a puncture wound from an air gun I felt physically sick. I couldn’t believe anyone would do this.

Emma Williams with her cat Linc. Photo: Emma Williams

“I feel angry, disgusted, sickened and pretty shocked and upset by it all that someone could pull the trigger in his face.

“He’s not been out since and is still healing. He’s been a bit nervous and skittish, but he’s still his cheeky self. I’m not letting him out until it heals up or maybe not again. He’s going back to the vets next week for a check-up.”

Emma and her partner Darren Williams posted about the issue online and received comments from people that it had happened to cats and other animals in Lincoln, Hykeham and other areas. She also believes there should be tougher rules around licensing of air guns.

Frankie and her brother Linc. Photo: Emma Williams

Aww! Sibling love! Photo: Emma Williams

Emma added: “We were worried he might lose his eye initially and we weren’t sure how it would go, but once the vet removed a pellet his eye opened up.

“We’ve been very lucky and Lincs is now on antibiotics. The emergency vet was brilliant and I cannot thank him enough.”

Linc recently turned one. Photo: Emma Williams

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “This was a report that a cat had been shot with an air rifle at 12pm on June 23, near Skellingthorpe Road in Lincoln. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Emma said she also reported it to the City of Lincoln Council and RSPCA who told her they had logged the incident.