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Cat Lucky To Be Alive After Being Shot By Arrow In Perris

SAN JACINTO (CBSLA)  -- Veterinarians in San Jacinto said they'd never seen anything like it. A stray cat brought in with an arrow stuck through its body.

KCAL9's Tina Patel spoke to the vets with the hard task at hand.

-"When he came in, he was obviously very stressed and agitated and in pain," said Dr. Sara Strongin of Riverside County Animal Services.

Vets were able to remove the arrow. The 2-year-old short hair already seems to be on the mend.

"He's a lucky cIt. if that arrow had been a few inches to the left, we would have a very different scenario. He does have a broken leg, but he was lucky the arrow didn't penetrate his chest cavity, didn't puncture a lung or injure his heart," says Dr. Strongin.

Because the arrow did fracture the cat's front leg if will have to be amputated. Vets said that will actually help the feline heal and recover faster.

"Cats and dogs do amazingly well on three legs. so really, we're removing the source of his pains. by getting rid of that leg, he's going to be able to walk much better with his three healthy legs," Strongin says.

Animal Control officers found the cat in a Perris neighborhood Friday morning. Investigators are asking anyone with information on who might have shot the cat to please come forward.

"I  mean, it's a horrendous act.  To think that someone would intentionally literally aim to hurt an innocent animal," says Strongin.

Any tips that could help investigators should go to Perris Animal Control.

As for the cat, vets say it will be a while because he heals enough to be adopted.

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