Dubai vet removes air gun pellet lodged in cat's back

Stray animal was found limping in Jumeirah before an X-ray revealed it had been shot

Boom, a stray cat that was shot with an air gun in Dubai, has had the pellet removed from her back. Courtesy of Fawaz Kanaan

A stray cat that had been shot in the spine with an air gun narrowly avoided paralysis as vets in Dubai successfully removed a pellet from the animal.

The cat, part Scottish Fold, was named Boom by rescuers after being found on Al Boom Street in Jumeirah. She was found limping last weekend by a woman who feeds strays in the area.

A rescuer took Boom to a clinic where a vet ordered an X-ray, which showed an air-gun pellet lodged under her spine.

At the time, vets were worried that the cat could be paralysed by an operation to remove the pellet, but later decided to proceed.

Fawaz Kanaan, a Dubai resident who helped rescue her, said Boom could still walk and seemed to have recovered.

“I am so happy, but now we need to find her a home. That’s the only issue now,” he said.

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He posted about the injured cat’s plight on the Bin Kitty Collective Facebook page, which helps to arrange treatment and find homes for stray and injured cats.

No one has come forward to offer her a home as yet, although some have offered to help towards the surgery bill.

Mr Kanaan said anyone interested in adopting Boom should get in touch with Advanced Pet Care Clinic in Jumeirah, where she is being treated. Boom is expected to remain at the clinic for the next five days to be monitored.

She is the fifth cat Mr Kanaan, who is from Syria and has seven cats of his own, has found since 2016 to have been shot.

The UAE has strict laws against animal abuse.

Anyone caught abusing or illegally hunting, buying or selling animals faces a fine of up to Dh200,000 and a one-year prison sentence.

Last year the UAE's National Conference on Animal Welfare heard a plea from officials warning vets to watch for cases of animal cruelty by children, because it could be a precursor to harming fellow humans.

It is a view that has been backed by several studies, including one by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and north-eastern University, which found animal abusers are five times more likely to harm other people.