A FAMILY pet has been left disfigured and must have an eye removed after being shot in the face with an air rifle.

The owners of Flora, a four-year-old ginger and white cat, were outraged when they saw the state of their beloved pet.

The injured moggy made it back to the family house in Bradenstoke on Sunday morning, where she walked into the house dripping with blood and woke her 12-year-old owner Kate Phillips by climbing onto her bed.

Flora was taken to an emergency vet, and an almost one-centimetre metal slug was removed from her eye socket.

But the vet told mum-of-three Louise Phillips that Flora is now half blind and the eye must be removed.

The attack will set the family back about £1,200 in vet’s bills.

It also follows one month on from a near-identical attack, when a pregnant cat in the village was shot in the face.

Police want to trace a blue car that was seen in the area in connection with that attack.

Mrs Phillips, 44, said: “She returned home with an eye half hanging out and blood dripping out.

“It was awful. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. We rushed her to the emergency vet and a couple of hours later found a metal airgun pellet. She’s now blind in that eye – it will have to be removed. She has to have medicine every three hours.

“Cats’ eyes are like mirrors in the dark and I think it was somebody who’s a good shot. I think it was done intentionally.

“I want someone to get the wind up them, because this is outrageous.”

Daughter Kate, 12, a pupil at Wootton Bassett School, said: “I was woken up at about 8am. Flora was on my bed. Her eye was all black and wouldn’t stop bleeding.

“I was shocked. It’s horrible that someone could shoot cats. It’s just wrong and sick and you shouldn’t do it. But I’m relieved Flora’s okay now.”

PCSO Andy Singfield, of Wootton Bassett police station, said: “It doesn’t happen by accident.

“We’re looking at air weapon offences and animal cruelty. Even if they’re in their garden and firing out, it’s still an offence.

“This is really an appeal for witnesses – if anyone has seen or heard anything, we’d like to know”

PCSO Singfield can be reached, in confidence, on 0845 408 7000.