RSPCA urges vigilance as weapon attacks on cats more than double

Weapon attacks on cats in England and Wales more than doubled in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2023, as the RSPCA warns of a rise in violence against animals.

Data released on Thursday by the animal charity shows 44 cats were shot with a weapon such as an air gun, slingshot, catapult or crossbow from January to June 2024, compared with 18 in the same period last year.

Weapon attacks on animals in general have risen, with a 23% increase from 300 in 2022 to 370 last year.

The RSPCA has advised people to remain vigilant to such abuse, with cases usually peaking in the summer months.

The RSPCA lead wildlife officer Geoff Edmond said people often committed the acts of violence for amusement. “It is unspeakably cruel and totally unacceptable to shoot animals for ‘fun’ like this – or to harm them for target practice – but, sadly, we receive nearly 200 reports every year.”

Cats often sustained life-changing injuries, commonly blindness, from being shot with a weapon and in some cases they died.

The RSPCA has highlighted the case of Rocket, a tabby found in Nottinghamshire who had been shot twice by an airgun. He lost an eye and was left with life-changing injuries.

The charity said crossbow attacks were on the rise, with 11 incidents in 2023, compared with seven in 2022, and incidents involving catapults and slingshots also rose, from 27 to 28.

A total of 896 weapon attacks on animals were recorded between 2020 and 2023. The highest number of attacks was in Kent, where 61 incidents were recorded. This was followed by Greater London with 52, and the West Midlands and Merseyside, which had 36 incidents each.

Edmond said: “These weapon attacks are horrific, but what we see is likely only the tip of the iceberg.

“While most people will be appalled by attacking animals in this way, sadly, the RSPCA’s experience shows that there are people out there who are deliberately targeting wildlife, pets and farm animals with guns, catapults and crossbows. These weapons cause horrific pain and suffering.”

He said the RSPCA was helping to develop Operation Lakeshot, a police-led partnership initiative initially established by Essex police and the Metropolitan police, which aims to tackle crimes against wildlife.

Recent incidents recorded by the RSPCA team include Narla, a three-year-old cat from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, whose spleen was ruptured when she was shot in the abdomen with an airgun in April. She survived after veterinary treatment.

A fox in Chatham, Kent, had to be put down after being shot with a catapult by a group of teenagers in May this year. In July, a dead hedgehog was found in Newbury with a 10mm diameter metal ball lodged in its skull, suggesting it had been targeted with a catapult.