Perth mum living in fear after family cat's leg shattered in shooting
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: A Perth mum says she fears for her kids' safety after someone shot their pet cat.
The Gooseberry Hill family's pet Coco had her front leg shattered in the incident and the bullet narrowly missed her spine.
At first, cat owner Cherie Martignoli assumed Coco had been in a car accident.
"She didn't move, she just lay there. I knew straight away something was wrong," Ms Martignoli said.
She found the two-year-old cat collapsed on the veranda on Monday morning.
It was only when the cat was X-rayed that Ms Martignoli realised she had been shot.
"The bullet pellet has entered through the chest and hit her humerus, like our upper arm bone and broken it in three places," she said.
Coco's splintered leg is now being held together by a pin. The gun pellet remains lodged near her spine.
Vet bills are already well over $2000.
"The vet says Coco is ready to go home and he's quietly optimistic about her chances, but its going to be a long recovery."
The RSPCA says it's likely to be an isolated incident, but attacks on animals are on the rise.
"Someone's fired a weapon in our suburb and I find that really distressing."
"There are lots of children in our area."
