A heartbroken Carlisle woman has made a desperate plea for help to trace the culprit who shot and killed her beloved pet cat.
Long-haired tabby Marlee, who would have turned four in March, had been with Lauren Moynan, 28, since she was a kitten.
“I got her when I was going through a bad time a few years ago, when I needed her most,” said Lauren, who lives off Dalston Road. “She was just the best, playful and loving.”
Lauren was just about to make tea on Friday when she shouted for Marlee.
“She was down beside the window and just turned around really slowly. The minute I saw her I knew there was something wrong,” said Lauren. “She didn’t miaow, didn’t jump up at the window. She just looked at me and I knew.”
When Lauren picked her up, she saw blood. “I turned her over, she just laid there floppy in my arms and I knew it was bad.
“While I was on the phone, my neighbour came to knock on my window to say ‘keep your cat in, mine is at the vets because it’s been shot’, and I just knew that’s what had happened to her. When we got to the vets we found she’s been shot through her side and right into her abdomen.”
Lauren, who has since learned of five similar incidents in the past 10 days, said: “I’m gutted, heartbroken, it’s absolutely ripped my heart out.
“I can’t believe they’ve just taken her away from me. They should think of what they are putting me through and how I must feel — they’ve no idea how I feel. I can’t understand it, can’t get it out of my head. They’ve absolutely torn my heart out — and for what reason?
“We have another cat and a dog we are petrified to let out of the house.”
Lauren contacted police but was concerned they didn’t seem that interested, saying she was told the case could be logged as criminal damage and not animal cruelty.
“Why?” she wondered. “That’s my animal, she was my baby.”
A Cumbria police spokesman said today two cats had died from injuries believed to have been caused by someone with an air rifle during linked incidents.
And officers have appealed for information following reports of three cats being injured in Carlisle between January 24 and 27 in the areas of Mcdevitt Way and Newcastle Street.
The spokesman said: “We are taking this investigation incredibly seriously. These are despicable acts and we want to hold whoever is responsible to account for their actions. We would appeal to anyone with information to report it to us to help with our enquiries.”
An RSPCA spokesman said: “We’re extremely saddened to hear about these fatalities and the injuries these pet cats have needlessly suffered as a result of these mindless incidents, and our thoughts are with the owners at this very difficult and upsetting time for them.
“We would urge anyone with first-hand information about any of these cases to call us on 0300 1234 999.
“The RSPCA is appalled that people take pleasure from cruelly and deliberately targeting animals in this way but sadly, these types of incidents are not uncommon. In 2021 we received 454 calls about animals being shot, injured or killed with air guns – the majority of these concerned cats or wildlife.
“We believe these numbers only show part of the problem as not all cases will be reported to us directly and there may be situations where animals injured and killed by these weapons are sadly never found – especially in the case of wildlife.
“The RSPCA always tends to see a rise in the number of attacks on animals in the summer months when the days are longer and people are spending more time outside, and sadly we saw an increase in cases during the national lockdown months.
“We continue to call for stricter regulations around owning an airgun in both England and Wales. Better education, basic safety training for owners and a thorough explanation of the law – including our legal obligations towards animals – could help protect countless animals from these horrible attacks in the future.”
Anyone with information can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit quoting incident 196 of January 27th; phone 101; or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
