Cats targeted in airgun attacks

Tootsie's x-ray shows she had four pellets inside her

Two cats needed more than £4,000 worth of medical treatment after they were shot with airguns in near fatal attacks in West Lothian.

Brother and sister Gizmo and Tootsie were targeted within a month of each other as they wandered near their home in Whitburn.

Gizmo was hit by two pellets, one of which caused so much internal damage a kidney was removed to save his life.

Tootsie was struck by four pellets, one which caused a severe leg fracture.

The pair have since recovered but their injuries took weeks to heal.

Eileen Leckie, 32, who owns the cats with her husband Peter, 38, and their 11-year-old daughter, warned of the dangers of airguns.

Beloved pets

She said: "It's been heartbreaking to see Gizmo and Tootsie go through the same ordeal.

"Luckily both survived but it was very close.

"In this case, even one pellet caused a lot of damage and could have led to the loss of two very beloved family pets."

Gizmo, six, managed to make his way home after he was shot in June.

Brother and sister Gizmo and Tootsie were shot in West Lothian

Mr and Mrs Leckie noticed he was not his usual self and took him to the Edinburgh PDSA Pet Aid hospital.

Senior veterinary surgeon Stuart McMorrow discovered a wound on Gizmo's right side.

An X-ray revealed it had been caused by an air-gun pellet, which was lodged in his abdomen while another pellet was in the cat's left leg.

The cat had to undergo an operation to remove both pellets and was kept in intensive care for several days, going on to make a full recovery.

A month later, three-year-old Tootsie went missing.

The family dog Daisy tracked the cat's trail and led Mr Leckie to the place where she was cowering under a bush with an injured leg.

She was taken to Edinburgh Pet Aid hospital and X-rays revealed four airgun pellets, one in the left leg, causing a fracture, another on the side of the chest and two lodged in between the right knee and hip.

The pet had to endure two operations to repair the damage.

After the operation in July, Tootsie was confined to a cage to stop her from displacing her leg, and was only well enough to come out on 6 October.