A PET cat was cared for by staff at a Prestwich vet's clinic after being left in agony after being shot in the leg with an air rifle.

Owner Maxine Jolly discovered one-year-old Pom dragging her leg.

An x-ray, taken at a vet's surgery, showed that a pellet fired from a high-powered rifle had shattered her thigh bone.

She will now have to wear a metal leg brace for 14 weeks while the bone heals - and may never walk properly again.

"I'm absolutely devastated by what has happened and I'm disgusted that someone would do that to a cat," said Miss Jolly, aged 34, of Barcroft Road, Smithills.

"Even if you're not a cat lover, this is a terrible thing to happen to any animal."

Pom was found injured last Saturday morning and was taken to Regan's Vets Practice in Bury Road, Bolton.

She underwent surgery to remove the pellet and set the leg and then spent four days being cared for by staff at Park Veterinary Clinic in Prestwich.

Miss Jolly, who works for Bolton Council, said her six-year-old daughter, Erin, was devastated by the attack and had been left afraid of playing outside.

She said: "We hear a lot of what sounds like air rifle shots in the area but it's hard to tell where they are coming from.

"Whoever did this needs to be caught before someone else's animal is shot.

"My daughter is too terrified to play outside."

Insp Simon Miskell said: "This was a despicable and cowardly attack on a defenceless animal which deserved to have been treated with respect.

"We are doing everything we can to find whoever was responsible and would appeal to anyone with information to come forward."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.