AN 80-year-old woman’s beloved pet cat was left paralysed when it was shot with a pellet gun in a ‘callous and cowardly’ attack.

Six-year-old black cat Purdie was shot in the spine, meaning she has lost the use of one of her legs.

Police said they were concerned that if the attacker was not caught, other animals could also be in danger.

Purdie’s owner, pensioner Joyce Holden, who lives in Barrowford, said her companion was now too afraid to be around strangers and was often in pain.

The great-grandmother-of-three said: “I found Purdie in the garage curled up in a ball.

“I could see drops of blood and I thought she had been attacked by a dog.

“My daughter and I took her to the vets and he gave her an injection, antibiotics and painkillers and then we brought her back home.

“But the next day she looked dreadful and her eyes were rolling.

“I could not put up with her being in pain, so I took her to another vet and they said it was a bullet. I was flabbergasted.

“I would not have thought at all that it could have been anything so serious.

”The people who did this are callous and cowardly. It should have killed her by rights.

“The attack was completely vindictive and those responsible should not be out firing guns.

“It could have been a child they shot.”

The pellet was lodged in the cat’s spine between the top of her left leg and her neck.

After tests and x-ray scans, vet Richard Appleton, from the Stanley House Veterinary Group surgery in Colne, told Mrs Holden that the bullet could not be removed.

He said: “Purdie was originally brought to see my colleague.

“She had a wound on her left shoulder and she was not using her left front leg. She was in some degree of pain.

“Unfortunately, she did not respond to the pain relief and she was getting worse on the leg and then the leg seemed to be paralysed, so we performed an X ray.

“We found what looked to be a pellet lodged in the spine. Purdie is likely to require life-long medication.

“Unfortunately, we see more air rifle pellets in cats than we would like to see. They are unfortunately relatively common.”

The RSPCA reported last week that it had seen an increase in air rifle attacks on wild and domestic animals over recent years.

There were 15 such incidents in 2010, 23 the following year, and 26 last year.

There have been 10 so far this year.

Widow Mr Holden said her cat was starting to recover from her injuries.

She said: “Purdie can get about, but she drags her leg.

“She will never be the same.

“She used to be very confident but now she runs away from other animals. She does not want to put up any fight.”

Police are appealing for anybody with information about the attack to come forward.

PCSO Hazel Thorp said: “Purdie usually goes home every night but on June 24, she failed to return and her owner couldn’t find her anywhere.

“The next morning Purdie was located in the garage in a very distressed, injured state.

“Upon examination and after an x-ray it has come to light that Purdie has in fact been shot.

“The x-ray shows a pellet lodged in her spine.

“Purdie is currently at home recovering, but at the moment only has use of three legs.

“It is such a shame that this has happened. I just think it is horrible.

“It does not sound like it has been accidental and it is quite sickening that someone could do something like this to any animal.

“I would appeal to anybody who may have seen anything to get in touch.

“We do not know if there are any other animals that could have been injured in the area, so we need to find who has done this.”

Anybody with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.