A SECOND cat has been found shot in the head in two weeks in Hyndburn.

Stray Rufus was taken to pet organisation Friends Of The Cats after being found by a resident in Bold Street, Accrington.

The cat had problems breathing and was coughing up blood, and an x-ray revealed it had an air gun pellet lodged in its nose.

The incident comes after cat Jasper was shot six times in Oswaldtwistle earlier this month.

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Andy Richards, from Friends of Cats based in Accrington, said: “It’s a terrible thing, I was so shocked when I found out it had been shot.

“How could someone be so sad and monstrous, who would want to harm a cat.

“The smell coming from his nose was just indescribable, he had a really bad infection.

“We don’t know if its different people, or if we have serial cat shooters in the area.”

Mr Richards said the cat was brought to him by a resident who often feeds strays in the area.

Rufus has had an operation to remove the bullet and is currently still getting veterinary treatment for the infection.

Mr Richards is hopeful the cat will make a full recovery, and is looking for a home for the cat so it doesn’t have to go back on the streets.

He said: “He’s still very poorly after the shooting.

“He’s a very friendly cat, he must have had an owner previously and then ended up homeless for whatever reason.

“We’re very optimistic, he’s improving and growing strong enough to fight the infection.

“He’s getting better, he’s been given antibiotics to help. We’d be able to see at this point if the medication wasn’t helping him.”

This is the second case of a cat being shot by an air gun in two weeks after cat Jasper had to have his leg amputated and was left with a pellet lodged behind his eye after an attack in Oswaldtwistle.

The Friends Of The Cats group, based in Blackburn Road, aims to help stray cats in the area by providing care for injured animals and finding them foster homes.

Mr Richards said that he has informed the RSPCA and the police.

On average the RSPCA receive almost 1,000 calls to investigate air gun attacks on animals each year.

A spokesman for the charity said: “We have been contacted about this awful incident and are looking into it.

“We also continue to appeal for information after a cat was shot six times in Oswaldtwistle, near Accrington, on April 10.”

“Anyone with info should call us on 0300 1234 999.”

Police said the incident was reported to them on Saturday.

A spokesman said: “We received a reports of an injured cat.

“The person taking it in told us that it had been shot in the face with a pellet, although they did not see the incident.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101.