RSPCA urges vigilance as weapon attacks on cats more than double

Narla, a three-year-old cat from Stoke-on-Trent, was shot in the abdomen in April. Photograph: RSPCA

Weapon attacks on cats in England and Wales more than doubled in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2023, as the RSPCA warns of a rise in violence against animals.

Data released on Thursday by the animal charity shows 44 cats were shot with a weapon such as an air gun, slingshot, catapult or crossbow from January to June 2024, compared with 18 in the same period last year.