A pet cat that escaped his owner’s home on Monday and returned home the next day came back with an air gun pellet lodged in his eyeball, his distraught owner has told Times of Malta. 

Dusty, the beloved companion of Mellieħa resident Rachel McLeod, had to have his eye removed after the incident, his owner has said, with a veterinarian believing that he received his injuries as a result of being shot at.

The cat escaped shortly after returning home from a routine vet appointment, sending his owner on a frantic search to retrieve him. 

“We were visiting all the cat colonies in the area looking for him and our friends and neighbours joined in, calling his name in our area,” McLeod said. 

Dusty later returned home by himself on Tuesday evening. But his right eye was engorged and bleeding. 

McLeod rushed Dusty to the vet that very same evening.

She was told that while the cat did not suffer any other injuries, there was no way of saving the injured eye.  

While both McLeod and the vet initially thought Dusty had gotten into a scrap with another cat, they were surprised to discover a metal pellet lodged in his eyeball. 

McLeod expressed sadness and anger that her cat, who had been lost outdoors for less than 24 hours, had been treated so savagely. 

“Honestly, I cannot believe that somebody could be so cruel,” she said. 

“I think it must have happened on Monday evening and he remained hidden or was unconscious somewhere. The vet said that he must have been in horrendous pain.”

Now safely back at home and recovering, McLeod said that Dusty appears to be shocked and quieter than usual, but receiving a lot of love from his humans. 

A police spokesperson confirmed that a police report has been filed about the incident. 

Sources at Animal Welfare Services said that the incident was somewhat unusual and that reports of similar attacks have not been recorded.