A FAMILY was distraught after their beloved pet cat was shot with an air rifle.

Three-year-old tabby Logan is fighting for his life after being hit by a pellet from the gun.

He suffered serious injuries to his intestines and needed extensive surgery.

Logan’s owner Louise Hill returned home to Maple Way in Amesbury from her job as a teaching assistant at Stonehenge School last Tuesday and realised something was wrong.

“He’s a real home cat, the furthest he likes to go is the fence at the front of the house so I was a bit concerned when he wasn’t there,” she said.

“When I found him, at first I thought he was ill but we took him to the vet who said he’d been shot.

“The external wound was quite small but the internal injuries were horrific.

“On the x-ray you can see the pellet stuck inside him.”

Logan was given intensive care over the weekend and has had several operations.

Mrs Hill and her 13-year-old daughter Amy have been left heartbroken by the cruel attack on their pet. “It’s been very distressing – how could someone do that to an animal?” said Mrs Hill.

“We got Logan from the Cats Protection about three years ago and he’s one of the family.”

Inspector Christian Lange from Amesbury Police said: “We are taking this incident very seriously and would appeal for anyone with information to contact us.”

Logan was shot last Wednesday afternoon at Mrs Hill’s home on Maple Way in Amesbury.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the attack and has been bailed pending further inquiries.