A dad from Colchester has been left heartbroken after his pet cat was seriously injured after being shot.

Billy Jackson's cat Ollie means the the world to him and is treated like one of the family. Last week he received a shock when Ollie came home and collapsed on the kitchen floor.

Billy picked him up and he was breathing really fast and shaking.

The 29-year-old said: "I just had to rush him to the vets.


"I didn't even ring, I just took him the the nearest one."

He didn't realise that Ollie had been shot as his wound was not obvious through his black fur, instead he initially thought his beloved cat had been poisoned as he had a strange smell to him.

He said: "I would never have dreamed that it would have been a gun shot.

"I just threw him in the carrier and ran out the door, if I had known he had been shot I would have been more careful."

At first Billy didn't see he had been shot
At first Billy didn't see he had been shot

Later on that day Billy had a phone call from the vets telling him that his pet had been shot and his lung had collapsed, Billy thought he may never see his furry friend again.

"I thought I had lost him, I thought that was the end of him," he added.

"It broke me a bit."

"When the vets called I thought they would have to put him down."

Ollie was transferred to a 24-hour vets and fortunately managed to survive the night.


"He is like the son I never had"

Ollie is more than just a cat to Billy and his family.

The dad to Hollie, nine, and Amelia, 10, then said: "Ollie is like the son I never had, I always wanted a boy."

The family are big cat lovers, with five of the feline friends, but Ollie is the only boy and a lot bigger than the girls.

"We call him the lord of the family, he is in charge and he rules the roost."

Ollie was shot in the lung
Ollie was shot in the lung

Billy, who works in retail, said he can tell Ollie knows he is loved as he managed to find his way home, if he hadn't then he probably wouldn't have survived.

So far his injuries have cost Billy £800 and he will most likely need more treatment in the future, but money isn't a concern as Billy would do anything to make his pet better.

"Money wasn't a problem, I would get into debt for him," said Billy.

"He is now worth his weight in gold but I would do it all again."

"It's really scary to think they are carrying them"

Billy said Ollie is like his son
Billy said Ollie is like his son


The vets told Billy that they believe Ollie had been shot with an air rifle.

It's believed it may have happened in Westlands Country Park as their house backs onto the woodland area, and the family didn't think Ollie would be at risk when he wandered into the park. However, this hasn't yet been confirmed.

He added: "Ollie goes there a lot, we tried to train him to go to the park rather than out the front onto a busy road."


"The bullet is still in him"

Ollie is now at home recovering but he has a long journey ahead of him.

He is allowed to jump and must be kept calm, he is also restricted to one room of the house when no one is home.

The bullet that struck him is actually still in Ollie as it is too risky to remove at the moment.

The vets have told the family that due to the placement of the bullet in the cat's lung, it's between 'life or death' and they need to wait for Ollie's body to start rejecting it before they can attempt to cut it out.

Ollie has to take it easy during his recovery
Ollie has to take it easy during his recovery

If the feline jumps the bullet could move as any movement could dislodge it from it's position.

Talking about Ollie's recovery, Billy said: "He is recovering really well, with a few check-ups and some basic care he should be fine.

"He will never be the cat he used to be as he only has one lung, so he is less capable."

Everyone in the family is ensuring 'he is getting lots of hugs and lots of attention'.