Editorial: No excuse for violence against pets

Four slug gun pellets were found in Chino's body.

There is a strong divide between cat people and dog people.

I grew up with a family cat and was quite content when the cat would snuggle up at the end of my bed, purring softly.

It is now a large German shepherd that has my affection, always a willing companion for a run or a walk.

For many, pets are part of the family. They are waiting for you when you get home and always nearby for cuddle if you've had a bad day.

So I was disgusted to hear about Chino, the Burmese cat, being shot.

His owners, Susan Haldane and Tom van Dam, noticed the cat acting strangely when they returned to their Havelock North home recently.

It wasn't until the vet x-rayed him that they learned he had been shot with a slug gun. There were four pellets lodged in his body.

Fortunately, the pellets were lodged in Chino's muscle so the vet did not need to take them out and the cat is now returning to his "old self".

Chino is a typical cat and roams the neighbourhood when his owners aren't home.

It is very likely he does what cats do and digs and soils in other people's gardens. And this could anger some residents.

But there are other ways of getting cats off your property such as a harmless water gun or simply shooing them away.

It is also possible that Chino was targeted by some bored youth with access to a slug gun.

I doubt the owners will ever learn what exactly happened to Chino.

Whatever happened, there is no excuse for harming someone's beloved pet.