The RSPCA is calling for information after a cat was found with gunshot wounds at a home in Huntingdale.
A woman found the black and white cat on her driveway on Patrick Way last Monday.
He was dragging his back legs, unable to walk.
She took the cat to a nearby vet who discovered it had been shot twice, once in the spine and once in the chest.
The cat had no responses in his back legs or tail and the vet decided euthanasia was the kindest option.
The cat did not appear to be owned – he wasn’t microchipped and didn’t have any identifying features such as a collar or ID tag.
The RSPCA is now calling on anyone with information to contact its Cruelty Hotline on 1300 278 358 or via rspcawa.org.au.
Inspector manager Kylie Green said they were keen to catch the person responsible.
“The thought of someone deliberating shooting at a cat and leaving it to suffer is just horrendous,” she said.
“Imagine the pain and confusion he would have been in for goodness knows how long.
“It’s quite sickening to think there’s someone out there who thinks this kind of cruelty is OK.
“If you know the cat or if you have any information about the incident, please get in touch.”
There have been other examples of deliberate cruelty to cats recently, including the drowning of a loved family pet in Bayswater in August, and last year’s jailing of a man for 12 months after he beat a cat to death.
The maximum penalty for an animal cruelty conviction is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison
