Newport veterinary surgery Bishop Hendry & Edwards have reacted in horror after a third cat was shot by a pellet gun.
The latest shooting happened in the Maynards Croft area of Newport on Tuesday October 13.
Police received a call from the High Street vets stating that the cat had been shot twice in the leg and required treatment.
The incident followed two previous air riffle attacks in Newport in recent weeks.
Two cats were shot in Vineyard Drive and Henley Road on Monday September 7.
One of those cats - a kitten that only five months old - suffered a badly fractured leg and had to be put down.
Head nurse at Bishop Hendry & Edwards Helen Hughes said that she feared for the safety of children as well as the animals.
She said: “The owners of the first cat that we had in said that it hardly every left the back garden, so the pellet must have been fired from a neighbouring window.
“They had two young children who could have been playing in the garden and so were also in danger.
“Next we had the kitten in and, unfortunately, we had to put that one to sleep, causing a lot of distress for the owners. Again, as it was a kitten, it wasn’t roaming far and the shooting must have happened in the garden.
“It went quiet for a while, but then two weeks ago we had another cat in that had been shot twice in the same leg.
“Whether people don’t like cats or just think this is a bit of fun, we just don’t know.
“It’s distressing for the owners, particularly when they have young children who are not even safe in their own garden. You do see this happening every now and again - maybe once or twice a year - but to have three shot in a month, and all in the same small area, is worrying.”
PC Dave Parry, Local Police Officer for Newport East, has encouraged anyone with information about these incidents to come forward.
Anyone with information should contact Telford police on 0300 333 3000, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
By Sean Wozencroft