Pet cat dies after being shot in Ifield

A family have been left shocked and heartbroken after their pet cat had to be put down after it was shot in Ifield.
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Adorable nine-year-old Iggle was found bleeding outside his family home in Leopold Road on Friday, October 29. He was rushed to the emergency vet, where x-rays showed he’d been shot in the lung with a pellet.

The vet said he could operate on Iggle, but the feline’s chances of survival were just two per cent. Unfortunately, Iggle had to be put to sleep.

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Iggle’s owner Julie Nugent said: “I couldn’t get away from work. I’m a clinical health worker so my husband phoned me and said the cat’s hurt, it’s bleeding.

A family have been left shocked and heartbroken after their pet cat Iggle had to be put down after it was shot in IfieldA family have been left shocked and heartbroken after their pet cat Iggle had to be put down after it was shot in Ifield
A family have been left shocked and heartbroken after their pet cat Iggle had to be put down after it was shot in Ifield

“He heard the cat crying at the back door and he said, there’s loads of blood at the back door.

“Iggle came in and collapsed. It was at 7.40 he phoned me, and he said, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, I don’t know what to do.

“So I said, rush him to the emergency vet. We rushed him to the emergency vet and they did an x-ray on him, and they said he’s been shot in the lung.

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“Our initial thought was that he got hit by a car. But it was a pellet that went straight through his lungs.

The x-ray of Iggle showing the pellet in his lungThe x-ray of Iggle showing the pellet in his lung
The x-ray of Iggle showing the pellet in his lung

“The vet said he could operate but it's not guaranteed to work and he's never done an operation like this. It’s a two per cent survival [rate] so he got put to sleep I’m afraid.

“I wasn’t worried about the vet bill. It was an emergency. You’re not going to let him suffer.

“My husband kept saying, I’m going to help you. But then afterwards he turned to me and said, I couldn’t help him.

“The cat meant so much to me. He was a friendly cat.”

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Julie is now apprehensive about letting her other cat leave the house, and was worried other pets in the neighbourhood could be senselessly attacked.

But she paid tribute to her neighbours and the police for helping her through the traumatic event.

Julie added: “I’m frightened to let my other cat out, but she’s got out twice now.

“But our neighbours have been so supportive. They’ve made sure I’m alright and made sure that I’ve reported it to the police.

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“The police came round to see me and were very nice. They said, just try and talk to people.

“No one’s going to own up to it. I just worry for other people’s animals. It’s not a good thing.”

A spokesperson from Sussex Police said: “Police received a report from a member of the public on Friday night (29 October) that their cat was sadly put down after being shot by an air rifle near to their home in Leopold Road, Crawley, around 7.40pm.

“Officers investigating the matter are keen to hear from anyone who saw what happened, or who may have captured any CCTV or doorbell footage from the area.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police online or by calling 101 quoting serial 1461 of 29/10.”

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