Animal lovers expressed their dismay after a stray cat in Dubai was shot several times by an airgun.
The young ginger and white male had a single pellet removed from his right foreleg after being spotted limping in the Al Warqa area of the city.
Samah Al Manzalawy, who has rescued cats for many years, said she was shocked by the attack, the latest in a number of cases of animals being abused.
"It’s very upsetting to us,” she said. “You should never harm an animal that can never do anything to you. They’re vulnerable."
The cat, which is between one and a half and two years old, was operated on by vets on Tuesday.
Rescuers found two other similar wounds on the animal, also thought to have been caused by airgun pellets.
Dr Khaled Sheta, of Pet Lovers Veterinary Clinic in Dubai, treated the cat, which has since been named Bullet.
He said the stray was lucky no internal organs had been affected.
“We have to work together to raise awareness about animal welfare and the fact that they [cats] are part of society,” he said.
Ms Al Manzalawy said she now hoped to find a permanent home for the cat.
“He’s very friendly, he’s very affectionate. He’s been around people before,” she said.
In May, Animal Action UAE, which helps rescue strays, revealed a puppy had been shot dead in Abu Dhabi. Other recent instances of animal cruelty involved cats having their tails cut off.
In October last year, the government said that cases involving the torture and abuse of animals, or actions "causing [their] exhaustion" would attract a Dh1,000 fine.
