Pet is left injured after being shot with an airgun

Norris was found badly hurt near his owners’ home on Burnside Avenue, Calder Vale, near Garstang.

The adult male Maine Coon cat – also known as an American Longhair – had several pellets lodged in his body. RSPCA inspector Amy McIntosh said: “The family was extremely upset when they found Norris in such a poorly state.

“It was touch-and-go for a while, and because of injuries to his face, it was very difficult for him to eat.

“Shooting a defenceless animal in this manner is such a cowardly act.

“It is by sheer luck that Norris didn’t suffer a slow and painful death.”

Martin Meighan, Norris’s owner, said it was a huge shock when the vet told them what had happened.

The incident happened at 7am on November 14.

Norris is now back home, but still hasn’t been outside.

Mr Meighan said: “My son found Norris first thing in the morning and we thought he might have been hit by a car, but when the vet told us that he’d been shot, we just couldn’t believe it.

“He’d got a broken jaw and there was damage to his tongue as well, but he’s a big cat, and maybe that is what saved him as he was able to drag himself back home.

“I’ve heard stories from other people about other cats going missing or being hurt, and it is a real worry because everybody around here has animals, so nobody can understand who would do this.”