AN animal lover has spoken of her devastation after her cat was deliberately shot at point blank range and had to have its leg amputated.

AN animal lover has spoken of her devastation after her cat was deliberately shot at point blank range and had to have its leg amputated.

Emma Sage and her fianc� Daniel Stennett were distraught to find their pet Amber horribly wounded in the back garden of their home in Main Road, Hemingstone.

The couple, who are due to marry next June, have used hundreds of pounds from their wedding savings to fund Amber's treatment and are at a loss to explain why anyone would want to hurt their cat.

Miss Sage, a dental nurse, said: “On Thursday at about 7pm Daniel went out into the garden and she was lying on the back door mat.

“She was covered in blood and at first we thought she must have been hit by a car. Her left leg was twisted round and looked really bad and there was an open wound on the front of her shoulder.

“I said to my partner it looks like a gunshot.”

Amber was taken to an emergency vet where she was x-rayed and it was discovered she had been shot in the shoulder.

Miss Sage, 24, said the vet told her there were both entry and exit wounds which indicated the airgun had been fired at close range.

Miss Sage and Mr Stennett, a 29-year-old window fitter, were given the option of having their two-and-a-half-year-old pet put to sleep or her leg being amputated.

They opted for the surgery and Amber is now recovering at home but will need regular check-ups and medication.

Miss Sage, who also owns Amber's sister Crystal, mum Ruby, a dog and a number of chickens, said she was “gutted” by the attack.

“We are distraught to be honest,” she said.

“We live by a busy road and this time last year Crystal was hit by a car - but that was an accident and you deal with it.

“What has happened to Amber was an intentional act and it is horrible.

“Our animals are part of our family. We don't have any children so they mean the world to us.

“I won't be letting the cats outside again, I just can't take the risk.”

She added Amber had been in the house an hour before she was found on the back door mat at 7pm which narrowed down when the shooting took place.

Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to contact Pc David Clark on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.