Pet owners warned after cat shot in Sheffield

Flex Kimpton, from Hackenthorpe, says his beloved one-year-old Main Coon Nero was shot with a 22mm metal petal which narrowly missed his eye.

Sharing a picture of Nero on Facebook, he said: 'It just missed his eye, he's a 10kg Maine Coon so lucky it's not penetrated his skull. It's hit his eye socket, the hard bone saved him I think.'

Flex, who moved to the area a little under two years ago, says he's been treating the wound as normal and that Nero only let him near today after the swelling went down revealing the pellet.

He believes the incident may have occurred at the back of the new building estate on Birley Spa Lane. 

The pellet used looks to have a sharp tip, normally used for hunting.

Flex added: 'The police have said it's classed as criminal damage, which has annoyed me as he's my family at the end of the day not property.

'I moved up here to get out the way and didn't expect anything like this.'

He is now warning other pet owners to check their '˜fluff balls' to make sure they haven't suffered the same treatment. 

If you have any information on this incident, contact South Yorkshire police on 101 quoting incident number 859 of September 21.