Adorable nine-year-old Iggle was found bleeding outside his parents’ house on Leopold Road on Friday October 29th. He was taken to the ambulance, where x-rays showed that he had been shot in the lungs with a pellet.
The vet said he could operate on Iggle, but the cat’s chances of survival were only two percent. Iggle unfortunately had to be put to sleep.
Iggle’s owner, Julie Nugent, said, “I couldn’t escape work. I work in health care so my husband called me and said the cat was injured, it was bleeding.
A family is shocked and heartbroken after their house cat Iggle was euthanized after she was shot in Ifield
“He heard the cat crying at the back door and said there’s a lot of blood on the back door.
“Iggle came in and collapsed. It was 7:40 am, he called me and said I don’t know what’s wrong with him, I don’t know what to do.
“So I said take him to the emergency vet quickly. We took him to the emergency vet and they took an x-ray of him and they said he was shot in the lung.
“Our first thought was that he was hit by a car. But it was a pellet that went straight through his lungs.
Iggle’s x-ray shows the pellet in his lungs
Iggle’s x-ray shows the pellet in his lungs“The vet said he could operate but it is not guaranteed to work and he has never had an operation like this. It’s a two percent survival [rate] So he was put to sleep, I’m afraid.
“I wasn’t worried about the vet bill. It was an emergency. You will not let him suffer.
“My husband kept saying I’ll help you. But then he turned to me afterwards and said I couldn’t help him.
“The cat meant so much to me. He was a friendly cat. ”
Julie is now afraid of letting her other cat leave the house, fearing that other pets in the neighborhood could be pointlessly attacked.
But she paid tribute to her neighbors and the police for helping her through the traumatic event.
Julie added, “I’m scared of letting my other cat out, but it has gotten off twice now.
“But our neighbors supported us so much. They made sure I was fine and that I reported it to the police.
“The police came to me and were very nice. They said just try to talk to people.
“Nobody will admit it. I just worry about other people’s animals. This is not good.”
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Police received a report on Friday evening (October 29) from a member of the public that their cat was sadly euthanized after being put to sleep near their home on Leopold Road, Crawley Air rifle was shot at 7:40 p.m.
“Officials investigating the matter are keen to hear from anyone who saw what happened or who may have recorded video surveillance or doorbell footage from the area.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact the police online or call 101 quoting serial number 1461 dated 29/10.”
