CAT owners in the Teifi Valley are asked to be vigilant following two cases of cats being shot by air guns in the vicinity.

One was hit at Llanarth near Aberaeron and the other at Pentrecwrt near Llandysul. Both incidents happened within two weeks of each other, and although both cats are recovering well, others may not be so lucky.

The cats were treated at Tysul Vets in Llandysul. Head nurse Sally Field says air guns are popular for pest control in rural areas but people should not be targeting much loved pets.

"To have two incidents like this, so close together, is very unusual. One cat was shot in the back and the other in the head and nearly lost his vision.

"The cat called Mr Snow needed the pellet removing under anaesthetic and required stitches and the other cat Garfield still has the pellet lodged behind his eye.

"He appears to be able to see at the moment, but the eye did bleed. We’ve been unable to remove the pellet as it lies deep in the socket of the eye and may compromise his sight if we try," she said.

Garfield’s owner, Claire Denyer who was away on a long weekend when the incident happened, is still coming to terms with the fact that her beloved cat was shot.

"I didn’t believe it when I first heard to be honest and it’s a real worry. I’m disgusted and if I get hold of those people responsible, I can’t tell you what I’d do with that gun!"

Claire’s neighbour Ingrid Groot Zwaaftink was looking after the cats while Claire was away and when she checked on them, she couldn’t quite believe what she discovered.

"The cats normally come to greet me but there was no cat in sight. Then I found Garfield in the corner of the room in a very bad state with one eye totally closed and a thorn in the other which we managed to remove.

"He had a thorn in one of his paws as well and when he got up he was behaving very oddly. I feared he had a head trauma or had been hit by a car as he was in such a bad state. I took him to the vets and he lost consciousness once and I thought we’d lost him. I must say, the vets have been fantastic," she said.

Head nurse Sally added: "Some people don’t like cats in their gardens, but I don’t think that any garden is so precious you feel it necessary to cause harm to an animal. I don’t understand why people have to inflict pain on any animal. Shooting pets is not just causing suffering to the animal but great distress to the owners too."

She concluded: "We don’t know who is responsible for these incidents. Some think it might be children but more often than not it’s adults. If you know of anyone who shoots cats in your neighbourhood, then report it. It must not continue."

A spokesperson for Dyfed Powys Police said: "Dyfed Powys Police can confirm it has received reports of cats being shot at and injured by air pellets, with the most recent being at Pentrecwrt. This matter is being investigated. Officers urge anyone with information about these incidents to contact police on 101."