A retired builder shot his neighbour's cat with an air rifle because it was chasing birds in his garden, a court heard.Eric Reeves, 68, shot five-month old Hartley after 'losing control' on August 8 at his home in Bradenham near Dereham, Norfolk.
Reeves admitted a charge of causing unnecessary suffering but claimed he had not realised the cat belonged to his neighbour, Nicholas Townley.
He said that he had thought the ginger and white cat was feral.
The cat survived and managed to walk back to his owner's home, King's Lynn Magistrates court heard.
Jonathan Eales, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA said: 'Mr Townley examined the cat and found bleeding coming from his right-hand side and when he tried to clean the wound the cat was sick.
'Mr Townley took the cat to see a vet who told him the cat had a puncture wound which would have been caused by a fall or an air gun pellet.
'As Mr Townley didn't think it was a pellet, the cat was given antibiotics', it was reported in The Daily Telegraph.
An X-ray later revealed that the air gun pellet had punctured the cat's intestine.
Mr Townley found his pet in distress the next morning and took it back to the veterinary surgery but it died on arrival.
Reeves later went to see Mr Townley at his home where he admitted to the shooting.
source: dailymail
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