A CAT shot dead in a rural neighbourhood has sparked fears that other pets could be next.
The short-haired cat, called Rosie, had to be put down after vets discovered 17 fragments of pellet in her body.
The discovery has led to fears that a resident of the small parish of Wickham Bishops is failing to take proper care when firing a shotgun, putting lives at risk.
The cat's owner, who did not want to be named, said: "I'm an animal lover but this isn't really about the cat, it's much more the fact that someone out there is brandishing a shotgun.
"Using a weapon like that out of season is totally irresponsible – what if a child or an elderly person had been walking across?"
The owners first thought their pet had been run over by a car when she dragged herself into their family home.
Because she was bleeding extensively from numerous puncture wounds, they rushed her to the vets, where an X-ray revealed the scattered pieces of shot.
The decision to put Rosie down was taken by vet Koot Kruger, of Medivets in Danbury.
"I've been working at the surgery for around ten years and I haven't seen anything like this before," he said.
"We removed 13 pieces of shot, but there were still four bits remaining that we couldn't get to. As a result she suffered multiple wounds and fractures.
"The X-ray also appeared to show the cat could have been shot in a previous incident."
The family have notified both the police and the RSPCA but are now keen to warn others to be aware of the danger.
"Rosie had shot left in from a previous incident, an injury we just thought had resulted from a fight with another cat perhaps," they said.
"We now suspect our other cat with an old wound has been shot and we believe both incidents were malicious.
"I understand people have to undergo a series of checks to get a gun licence but how are the police monitoring this? Someone is using their gun irresponsibly."
A police spokesman said: "Police were contacted on April 23 after a woman reported that a cat had been shot with a shotgun that day.
"Officers carried out a search of the area but could find no evidence of a shooting. The woman was advised to contact the RSPCA."
