AN investigation has been launched in Ringwood to find a cruel attacker who shot a cat in the eye with an airgun Nine-month-old tabby Rosebud survived the sickening attack but needed surgery to have her right eye removed.

Her horrified owner Mike Lavelle, 45, told the Daily Echo: “It sounds outrageous but someone must have deliberately aimed the gun at Rosebud’s eye.

“She sleeps at the bottom of our five-year-old daughter Freya’s bed and we didn’t realise Rosebud had been injured until the morning after the attack when we found her cowering on the bed,” he said.

“Rosebud was covered in blood, shaking and totally traumatised. We rushed her to the vet who found a pellet lodged in the back of her eye.

“The eye was so badly damaged it had to be removed.”

The father-of-two added: “Our family are sickened by what has happened because Rosebud is a much-loved family pet.

“It’s shocking that someone is using a powerful gun to maim animals; if it had been aimed at a child it could have left them blind.”

The RSPCA, who have joined forces with Hampshire police to investigate the attack last Tuesday night, say Rosebud is the third cat to have suffered airgun injuries this year.

Animal welfare officer Jo Blackburn said: “One of my colleagues is investigating a case involving a cat being shot in the eye in Wimborne.

“Earlier this year a cat was shot in the abdomen in Ferndown; fortunately he also survived.

“Rosebud had a lucky escape, if the pellet hadn’t hit her eye socket it could have caused fatal brain injuries.

“This type of attack is happening far too often, it appears that people are deliberately targeting cats and we are very concerned that people have access to potentially lethal weapons.

“We would like to see much tighter controls on the issue of airguns and will be carrying out door-to-door enquiries with Hampshire police.

“We are determined to find whoever was responsible for Rosebud’s terrible injuries and prosecute them for animal cruelty.”

• If you have any information that might help track down Rosebud’s attacker phone 0300 1234999.