HOW could anyone be so horrible?

Those are the words of 21-year-old Katie Sibley who is devastated after her cat Kitty had to be put to sleep after being being shot with an air rifle from close range.

Katie was given Kitty on her seventh birthday by her parents Sandra and Brian.

The 14-year-old cat limped back home to Upper Toothill Road in Rownhams on Monday afternoon.

“At first we thought she had been hit by a car,” said heartbroken Katie, who works for a Hertfordshire-based charity.

“Kitty was crying and in an awful lot of pain. My mum took her to a vet. She was given painkillers because she was in so much pain. The vet said Kitty has been shot with an air rifle and could not be saved,” added Katie.

She said that at first they thought Kitty may have been shot accidentally because people shoot in nearby woods.

“But the vet said it was a deliberate shooting because Kitty was shot at very close range,” she told the Advertiser.

Everyone in the family is very distraught and we cannot believe this has happened. Kitty was a lovely cat, with a beautiful nature and loved by everyone. She was part of our family, yet some wicked horrible person took her life away. I cannot believe anyone could be so evil.”

“I want people to know that this has happened and I want to know who did this and ask them why? They should not be able to get away with this,” added Katie.

Last year and earlier this year, a number of cats were shot at nearby Nursling and some died as a result of their injuries. However, Katie said she was unaware of any other cat shooting in Rownhams.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Romsey police on 101.