A DISABLED woman says she has lost her only companion after her cat was shot and killed outside her house by heartless thugs.

Janet Bailey’s six-year-old rescue cat Miley was found in Pullman Drive on Thursday by neighbour Darren Kidd while Mrs Bailey was at Wilton Riding for the Disabled.

Mr Kidd took the animal to The Pet Practice at Churchfields Industrial Estate.

He thought the cat had been hit by a car, but the vet X-rayed her and found she had been shot by an air rifle.

Miss Bailey has been left devastated by the mindless killing of her beloved pet.

“I know some people think a cat’s just a cat but she was my only companion,” she said. “I can’t understand the mentality of someone who would hurt a defenceless animal.

“And there are children round here as well. What if one of them had found her or if they got hurt?”

Mr Kidd said: “There are obviously some really stupid, brainless people living nearby who seem to think shooting cats is funny.

“Thanks to their stupidity, they have left a poor disabled lady with a dead cat. This was the only bit of company she had and it wasn’t nice having to break the news to her when I got back from the vet’s.

“I hope the idiot who did this gets caught before they do it to someone else.”

The vet reported the incident to Wiltshire Police and the RSPCA. A police spokesman said: “This incident is completely unacceptable and we will be looking into it.”

Anyone with information can contact Salisbury neighbourhood policing team on 101.