Poisoned and shot: attacks on cats soar by up to 45%

The Scottish SPCA has revealed reports of cat poisonings have risen by a staggering 45 per cent over the last three years.

The charity has also been faced with a dramatic increase in the number of calls from distressed cat owners whose pets have been shot with an airgun.

Mike Flynn, the Scottish SPCA's Chief Superintendent, appealed to the public to help combat the rising tide of cruelty. He said: "We need the public to be our eyes and ears and help us track these cruel people down and bring them to justice."

Chief Supt Flynn revealed that, in 2007, the charity had been alerted to 19 instances of suspected cat poisoning. The number of cases rose to 23 incidents in 2008 and to 34 incidents in 2009.

However, already this year 29 cat poisoning cases have been reported to the SSPCA.

Calls relating to airgun attacks on cats are also rising - from a total of 15 incidents being reported in 2007, 16 in 2008, and 23 incidents in 2009.

A total of 18 airgun attacks have been investigated by the SSPCA so far this year.

Chief Supt Flynn said: "Cats are unfairly targeted above other domestic and wild animals because of their free-roaming nature and the fact many are friendly and will walk to the person that wants to harm them.

"Every week we are receiving calls from extremely upset owners whose cats have come home either severely injured or very sick and displaying symptoms of being poisoned."

Revealing an increase in gun attacks on cats, he added: "In the airgun attacks often the cats will run off and hide, sometimes resulting in slow and painful deaths or they arrive home bleeding and in pain, by which time to person who shot them is long gone.

"It's cases like these where we need the public to be our eyes and ears and help us track these cruel people down and bring them to justice."

He stressed: "Causing an animal unnecessary suffering is a criminal offence, whether that's through callously and deliberately poisoning it or mindlessly blasting it with an airgun.

"Anyone we find doing so can expect to be prosecuted and if found guilty can face stiff penalties of up to six months in prison and fines of up to 5,000."

The cases investigated by the SSPCA over the past 12 months have included the deaths of two cats in Cumnock in Ayrshire who were poisoned with carbofuran, a banned pesticide, the discovery of a one-year-old ginger and white tom cat which had been badly burned in an attack in Kirkcaldy, Fife, and a "disgusting act of cruelty", again in Kirkcaldy, in which two 18-month-old cats were severely wounded following a brutal airgun attack in a residential street.The SSPCA has also revealed its animal rescue and rehoming centres are bursting at the seams with unwanted, injured and neglected cats in need of new homes.

An SSPCA spokeswoman said: "In the first eight months of 2010 the charity cared for more than 1,650 cats and kittens across all ten of its centres and on any given day staff can be caring for upwards of 400 homeless felines."