Neighbour has shot my cat!

[ponderland]

Hi my neighbour was using an air rifle on Monday/Tuesday, it sounded like he was aiming for our trees and my cat does climb in them (they are not his tree's as he's one house down). My cats been acting different for a few days and today we had a proper look at him and found a wound that looks like it was caused by an air rifle. The vets are going to X-ray him tomorrow morning and check him over but what can we do about this? It seems so barbaric and I'm struggling not to go round and ask him what the hell he was thinking, it was the neighbour and his friend both in their 60's so not teenagers.

The neighbours garden where he was shooting from backs onto the nursery play area that my son goes to and he was also playing in the nursery garden at the time (I can hear him from my house) it's a very built up area with a school, nursery, and lots of housing. Is it legal to shoot anything in this kind of area? The neighbour always lets his dog chase my cat when he walks past our house, he takes his dog of the lead so he can run after our cat when he's just sitting in our front garden, we've caught it on camera and seen it happen through the window. His dog managed to get into our back garden a few weeks ago from his back garden, we were very polite to the neighbour when he came to retrieve his dog but he does seem to want our cat to come to harm from what we've witnessed previously.

We haven't confronted the neighbour before as I've always felt confident my cat would be able to defend himself against his dog so just let it be but now that my cats actually harmed and we are looking at £££ vet bills I'm not sure what to do?

Googling suggests its illegal for him to shoot at anything outwith the boundary of his property. Id report him to the police tbh, especially if a pellet is found in your cat

I'd kick his dog in it's face if it tried coming near my cat.

Wait to see what the vets say and Definitely report to the police, giving them evidence from vets and video you have of neighbour letting his dog loose (shows intent). Your poor cat, let us know what the vets say and if your cat is ok

@dementedpixie I feel like doing just that but worried about how to prove it was him? I didn't see him as our immediate neighbours have a row of conifers on the boundary that I think he was shooting at but it was definitely his voice. It sounded like a friend had brought it round and they were testing it out. They shot it about 10 times, I've not heard them shooting before or since so guessing it wasn't his rifle. I'll take my cat to the emergency vets if he doesn't perk up. I'm not sure how much damage it could have done to him but he's not acting right at all.

Find out first! Our sod next door threw a dart at our car and he sauntered in with it hanging out of his fur (luckily he was a very hairy old boy and it was stuck in his fur - cat wasn’t bothered but what a horrific thing to do). My brother (who actually hates cats) went around and had a little word with him...

Are you in Scotland? I’m asking because Im sure air rifles are illegal here without a license (DH gave his up when the law changed) So yo7 could call the police along those lines if you are up here.

Definitely report. We had armed police in the middle of the night when a neighbour shot a fox, it was taken very seriously.

@Ohdeariedear no I'm in England. They should be illegal! Dp cat growing up was shot with one by a teenager and his cat ended up getting pts. He was poisoned by someone a few years ago and that ended up costing us £700 because his nose and mouth were badly burnt. Vet was positive it was done on purpose but I still can't believe anyone would be so cruel.

Difficult not to jump to conclusions but wait to see what the vet says. It could be an infected tick bite.

How have you not murdered your neighbour? What a disgusting excuse for a man, I would never trust anyone who tried to hurt innocent animals. I'd report to the police if it turns out he's been shot or the very least the rspca, wouldn't want him doing it again and cat getting hurt or worse killed, hope he's doing okay op

I used to live on a barge, and came across idiots shooting anything that moved on the canal. There are really strict rules about air rifles in public, and I'd go straight to the police if the vet confirms it. Stupid little minded man.

Next time you hear him out there, a phone call to the police saying there's a man with a rifle of some kind in the back garden of number 27 aiming at would elicit a suitable response. After all, you're not to know it's an air rifle, are you?

@MitziK I will! I've spoken to my neighbour on the other side to see if she heard anything but she wasn't in at the time. I might ask my sons nursery teachers if they heard anything. It was unusual for this area, never heard anyone shooting before and staff will of been outside with the children so they might of been surprised/concerned enough to remember it or even better see him doing it! It's only a small fence that separates the garden and school.

You don’t shoot a cat though! Squiz with a water hose maybe - but don’t hurt the poor thing.

What a lot of rubbish! You can't just shoot at cats on your property regardless of what they do. Probably unlikely the cat does any of that if he has a dog that chases the cat anyway

@popcornlover

Does your cat go onto his property? Does your cat massacre wildlife on his property? Does your cat foul on his property? Does your cat mess up his garden?

Cat owners, have some respect for your neighbours, and for wildlife.

Your cat may have driven him to it.

So a cat doing what a cat does deserves to be shot? How vile you are.

Aye because it's totally acceptable to shoot a cat because it might do a shit in your garden. Are you actually for real?

@popcornlover

Does your cat go onto his property? Does your cat massacre wildlife on his property? Does your cat foul on his property? Does your cat mess up his garden?

Cat owners, have some respect for your neighbours, and for wildlife.

Your cat may have driven him to it.

You don't shoot a cat though? You can get certain products for your garden. If you think harming an animal for any of those reasons is acceptable then you're as tapped as he is

@popcornlover his dog comes into our garden too? I would never dream of even spraying it with water! I don't think my cat would go into his garden as his dog is always in it and like I said he was shooting towards our trees that aren't in his garden.

Your cat may have driven him to it.

It might be a burst abscess. My old cat had just this and I thought it was an air gun pellet wound but vet said burst abscess.

With regards to the shooting the son of our neighbours at the back was shooting his air pistol I to our back garden. Reported it and police officer went round and scared the shit out of the kid. Turns out his dad had bought it after his mum said no. Think her wrath was worth than police officers.

You don't have to prove anything. That's what the police will investigate if they think your suspicions are well-founded. You should report it.

I'd be straight onto the Police.

or I have a very big friend who would pop around for me

Bastard would not be terrorising my cat.

Yes agree you don't have to prove it, if the vet confirms it is an air rifle pellet you should report it with any information you honestly have.