A CAT owner says she wants to shoot the thugs who attacked her kitten with a pellet gun.

Janice Ozdogancik of Birdbrook Road, Kidbrooke, noticed her nine-month-old kitten, Alfie, was late home on the evening of July 1, and so went outside to shout his name.

After a few minutes the cat limped through the bushes into the garden and slumped down at his owner's feet.

Mrs Ozdogancik, aged 48, rushed him to PDSA pet hospital in Eynsham Drive, Thamesmead, where a vet confirmed he had been shot with an air gun.

News Shopper: Alfie is nine-months-old

She said: "It just makes me sick in the stomach to think these scum bags could do such a thing.

"When I saw Alfie he could hardly use his back legs, he was just dragging them along behind him. He was in so much pain and I just burst into tears.

"I didn't know what was wrong with him, but then I was told that there was a pellet in him."

Mrs Ozdogancik, a shop assistant at London City Airport, added: "If I could get my hands on the people who did this I would shoot them.

"I want them to feel the same pain that Alfie felt."

After three days Alfie was showing no signs of improvement and was still limping.

News Shopper: A bullet hole can be clearly seen on Alfie's skin

Mrs Ozdogancik took him to Lewisham's Celia Hammond Animal Trust where vet Kishor Mahind confirmed his right hind leg was dislocated and that this could have been caused by Alfie being kicked or hit with a heavy object.

Mr Mahind said: "Alfie had some very nasty injuries and was in a lot of pain.

"A cat getting shot with a pellet gun causes the same sort of trauma as a human getting shot with a proper gun.

"Unfortunately we see a lot of these types of injuries in this area. There are some troublesome kids out there."

News Shopper: Janice Ozdogancik burst into tears when she realised Alfie had been shot

Alfie had an operation on his leg and is now recovering at home, but will sadly be partially disabled with a limp for the rest of his life.

Vet and operation bills following the shooting have cost Mrs Ozdogancik more than £400.

A spokesman for Greenwich police said: "Police were notified that a domestic animal had been shot in the back leg by an air rifle in Birdbrook Road.

"The incident is currently being investigated and the local safer neighbourhood team have increased their patrols in the area."

No one has been arrested.

Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.