Next Thursday (16 July) would have marked Skomie's third birthday. Unfortunately, we won't be celebrating, because he was shot by an air rifle not far from his home in rural Devon.

He was the perfect cat. Loyal, loving and affectionate. Small, but a big part of the family.

We believe he was shot on Thursday 2 July. The bullet wedged in Skomie's spine, leaving him without the use of one of his back legs. Despite our calls and searching, we were unable to find Skomie, so he was left outside for three nights in the rain.

We discovered him outside our back gate on Sunday 5 July. Miraculously, he had crawled home in search of help and comfort. Despite being rushed to the vets, and initial hopes that he could be saved, Skomie was put to sleep on Sunday evening.

The vet said he had used up all his energy trying to get home. A tragic end for a beloved cat.

We believe that Skomie's journey needn't have been in vain. Although we couldn't save him, we hope that by raising money for Cats Protection, other cats will get the love and care they deserve.

For more information, please read the blog post that was written a few hours after Skomie's death:

https://idontgetoutmuch.co.uk/blog/you-shot-more-than-cat/

Thank you.