A COUPLE were left heartbroken after their cat was left bleeding when he was “cruelly” shot with a pellet gun.

Rosanda Lukic, of Hillside Road, in Pinner, noticed three-year-old Gatsby limping and in pain on Friday – but was shocked when an X-ray showed a pellet lodged in his right leg.

The 55-year-old, who moved to England from Australia with her husband, Pete, 30 years ago, is now determined to find out what happened to her black and white cat.

She said: “At the moment we are very angry and disgusted- it is just so cruel.

“We were so shocked when it happened, as we could not believe that this could happen to our cat.

“This is the first time we have heard about something like this in the estate, so we want to raise awareness to other pet owners to ensure their cats and dogs are safe.”

Ms Lukic did not realise the extent of her pet’s injury until she took him to the vet.

She said: “We are lucky Gatsby managed to make his way home.

“We have got long gardens where we live and he was limping on the lawn before going indoors, where we discovered his leg was bleeding.

“We thought he had cut himself on glass and so my husband took him to the vet immediately.”

Since the attack, the usually playful cat has not been his usual self.

She said: “He is subdued because he has to wear a collar around his neck so that his wound can heal.

“He is in a dog cage with a litter tray and food inside, which is making him unhappy but he will be stuck in there for at least six weeks while he receives treatment.

“We just want to know what happened, as he always stays within the estate and has his own territory. We want to make sure it does not happen again.”

The police have been contacted.