‘Who could’ve shot my cat?’

Annette Pearson, of King Edward Terrace, said her cat Delilah is fighting for her life after she was seriously wounded in the Pennington Walk area.

“She came back in the house on Saturday night and went I went to pick her up she was all stiff and there was stuff coming out of her,” she said.

“This has absolutely broken my heart and am finding it very hard to talk about it. Delilah is my world and I can’t believe how heartless some people can be.”

Annette took Delilah straight to Portland House Veterinary Surgery where vet Kate and her team worked through the night to operate on her.

“I can’t thank them enough for what they have done. Kate initially thought Delilah had been bitten but on checking she realised she had been shot.”

Annette took in Bengal Tiger cat Delilah back in May this year as a stray and said she wouldn’t be without her.

“I’ve got four cats whom I all love dearly - people know me as Cat Woman in Retford,” she said.

“All my friends and neighbours can’t believe what’s happened and want these people caught. They have even donated money to help towards a reward leading to a conviction.”

Police say the RSPCA has been informed and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team has been carrying out enquiries in the area to find those responsible.

Retford Pc Gareth Nicholls said: “It is heartbreaking for any pet owner to see their beloved animal injured and there is absolutely no justification for it.

“There may be someone out there who saw a person or people acting suspiciously in the Pennington Walk area that night. Maybe they thought nothing of it at the time, but I urge them to come forward so that we can arrest the cowards responsible for this cruel act.”

Witnesses or anyone with information should contact Notts Police on 0300 300 99 99.