THE idea that someone would deliberately shoot a cat - as we have had to report in today's paper - seems scarcely believable in this day and age.

But it has happened, not once but twice, to cats owned by Kempsey resident Chloe Wright with one killed and the other injured.

And now Ms Wright feels that she has had to rehome the surviving cat, named Rosa, in order to keep it away from the unknown shooter.

What on earth would motivate someone to do that to an animal?

It is true that by no means everyone is a cat lover, but there is a world of difference between simply not wanting one of them around the place, and actually shooting at it, causing severe wounding.

No animal lover living in an ordinary community should have to put up with this sort of thing.

All that can be done is to appeal to the residents of Kempsey to keep their eyes open, and to inform the police if they see anything suspicious.

The perpetrator needs to be dealt with by the law. But he (and it's a fairly good bet it is a he) also needs help from mental health services.