“How can anyone look at a defenceless, elderly cat and do something so monstrous?”
Marley was shot eight times in Salford
Brutal X-ray images have revealed pellet bullets lodged in a rescue cat’s neck after being ‘shot eight times’ in Salford.
Marley, 12, was recently taken into the care of the Carrington Animal Rescue in Trafford and thought to have potentially gotten lost, but nobody has since been to claim him.
After being taken to the vets on Monday (October 13) to have his skin checked and due to recent vomiting, it was then noticed that he had numerous lumps on his head.
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The vet later confirmed the lumps were in fact pellet bullets and that Marley had been shot eight times before being rescued from Salford.
Although they do not need removing, the rescue centre issued a public post on social media describing Marley as ‘the sweetest, kindest boy’ and questioning ‘how can people do this?’.
The emotional post read: “I don’t even know where to begin today. I think I’m done. I think I’m done with rescue. I don’t know how much more neglect, cruelty, and heartbreak I can take.
Marley was abandoned(Image: Carrington Animal Rescue)
“Marley the sweet boy we took in recently has had no claims. I’ve been holding on to a small bit of hope that maybe someone would come forward, that maybe he’d just gotten lost. But today, I think it’s safe to say he was dumped. The number we had for the supposed owner no longer even rings.
“I took Marley to the vets to get his skin checked and to help with his vomiting, which we believe is stress-related. While there, I felt a lump on his head one I somehow missed on Friday. It felt… strange. Crunchy. Hard. Then I found another. And another.”
The post added: “A quick, unsedated X-ray showed a minimum of eight pellets lodged in his frail little body. Eight times this gentle, elderly soul was shot at and somehow, he still purrs.
“How can people do this? How can anyone look at a defenceless, elderly cat and do something so monstrous?
“Thankfully, the pellets don’t need to be removed that would only cause him more pain and stress. But to think of the agony he must have been in when it happened… it’s beyond words.
“We’re doing everything we can to make him comfortable, to settle his stomach, to heal his skin, and to remind him that not all humans are cruel. He’s the sweetest, kindest boy, and somehow after everything he still trusts us.
I”’m broken. I really am. I don’t know how rescuers keep going after seeing things like this. But for Marley, and for every other soul who’s been failed by humans, we’ll keep trying.”
Carrington Animal Rescue asked followers to ‘send Marley some love’ ahead of costly tests to be carried out on him. Details can be found on the online page.
In an updated post, it was revealed that Marley had blood tests taken which ‘came back clear’ and had a medicated bath to sooth his skin ‘followed by endless cuddles’ at the rescue centre.
“We’ll continue to keep everyone updated on how he’s doing,” an update read. “From the bottom of our hearts thank you to every single one of you for your kind words, donations, and support. You’ve shown Marley that there is so much good in this world.”