A CAT owner is warning animal lovers to be on their guard after her six-year-old pet was blasted in the eye with an airgun pellet.

Student Helen Lock, 19, of Weavills Road, Bishopstoke, was devastated after the callous attack damaged her cat's eye so badly that it had to be completely removed by a vet.

White Paws managed to drag herself back home and was discovered by Helen's mum, Sheila Lock.

"Mum was the first to find her - she was asleep but she didn't look right. Her eye was protruding from her face," said Helen.

Mrs Lock and her husband, Trevor, rushed White Paws for an emergency appointment at a veterinary surgery but it wasn't until the next day the family found out what had caused the injury. When the vet operated, an airgun pellet was removed from the cat's eye.

"I was hysterical when mum contacted me and told me what had happened - after that I was absolutely livid.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think anybody had shot her. I thought perhaps she had been kicked or possibly run over. White Paws is a very pretty cat and very friendly - she did not deserve this," said Helen.

The family is convinced the shooting happened close to their home because White Paws never strays far away. Also a neighbour's cat has been injured by a pellet.

"Perhaps some child has access to an airgun or some over-zealous gardener is protecting his patch. But whatever the reason, this cruelty is totally unnecessary," said Helen.

Now she is hoping publicity about her pet's ordeal will alert other owners to the dangers and make the culprit think twice about carrying out a repeat attack.

She has also appealed for anyone with any information about the shooting to contact the RSPCA. The shooting has been condemned by RSPCA spokeswoman Lucy Clark as "totally unacceptable".

She said: "There have been a lot of incidents of this kind in the Southampton area recently. We do need some evidence of who is doing this. We won't hesitate to prosecute people that are found doing this sort of thing."

Conviction for causing cruelty to animals carries a maximum penalty of a £5,000 fine and/or up to six months in prison.

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