A CAT owner is warning a pet shooter is on the loose after his beloved animal nearly died from an air rifle wound.

Mark Durham discovered his three-year-old tabby Skippy bleeding with a pellet lodged in his back - narrowly missing his spine.

The 39-year-old, who lives in Clarendon Rise, Lewisham, rushed Skippy to the vet who told him it would have been "game over" if the shot had been 1cm to the left.

Mr Durham believes the feline was fired at from on top of a nearby fence in the early hours of March 20 and is urging neighbours to be vigilant.

The owner-of-two-cats, who works in publishing, told News Shopper: "It is unbelievable.

"I found him as a heap on the floor, he couldn’t move.

"The vet said it would have been game over if it had been a centimetre to the left.

"He’s a very lucky boy but he can’t leap around or jump around - it is quite sad to watch him.

"He used to be a very vibrant, lively cat."

Tabby and white Skippy, said to be recovering well, and his brother Snooker are both rescue cats which Mr Durham hoped to offer a good home to.

Mr Durham, who has reported the matter to the police and RSPCA, said: "It’s a terrible situation.

"They were found abandoned as kittens and I can’t even let them out of my house because one got shot."

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "This was a cruel and callous act.

"Air weapon shootings of pets are a very serious problem which cause a great deal of suffering to the animals involved and much distress to their owners."

She added that the animal charity hears of a large number of such attacks which should be reported and can lead to prosecutions of those responsible.

There were 39 air gun attacks on cats in south east England reported to the RSPCA between January and December last year.