A Honiton mother and daughter are calling for an end to a spate of cat shootings and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Penny Palmer and her daughter Izzy, of St Leonard’s Road, were horrified to discover last Thursday that their cat Pickle had been shot.

The pellet, which is believed to have been fired from an air rifle, had to be surgically removed from her stomach area.

“The pellet didn’t hit anything vital,” said Penny. “If it had she would have had to be put down.”

The shooting is thought to have happened between 4am and 7am.

A second pellet was found in her leg but it is unclear when this happened. Vets were unable to remove it as it could have led to Pickle being paralysed.

“We were horrified,” said Penny. “It makes you very angry what has happened. Why is someone doing that?” She added: “What I worry about most is a child will get hit.”

This is not the first time one of the family’s pets has been targeted.

One cat was shot in the leg and the side in April and another had to be put down after being shot in the spine about five or six years ago.

Penny said: “It is vital this stops. Somebody is going to have an accident – it might not be a cat, it might be something else, it might be a person. It is an accident waiting to happen.”

She is urging anyone with information to come forward and added: “Please come forward, please contact the police, If you don’t want to contact the police contact veterinary surgeries or the RSPCA.”

The Herald previously reported a shooting in July and another similar incident in 2011.

PCSO Steve Mingo said: “Honiton neighbourhood police team is currently investigating incidents regarding domestic cats being shot in the St Leonard’s Road area.

“It seems the animals have been shot with a pellet-like weapon. We urge anybody with information to get in contact via 101, quoting crime reference CR/102146/14.

“The offence being committed here is to cause an animal unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

“The owners of the injured cat are clearly upset, as any cat owner would be. The offender needs to be aware this is a criminal offence and we will deal with it accordingly.

“Additionally, if we receive reports via 999 of somebody using an air rifle or a similar weapon, it will be looked at accordingly by our control room supervisors and appropriate resources will be dispatched, which may include suitably equipped officers.”