A FURIOUS Rednal mum has hit out at heartless thugs who left her disabled daughter's beloved cat fighting for its life.

Olivia Price was horrified to find her daughter Melissa's cat lying in a pool of blood near to their home in Malcolm Grove on Sunday morning.

"I thought the cat had been run over by the amount of blood but later we were told he had been shot with an air gun," she said.

They rushed the four-year-old puss to the RSPCA hospital at Barnes Hill in Weoley Castle for emergency surgery and vets found a pellet imbedded in his pelvis.

Olivia added: "It must have happened locally as the cat would not have been able to crawl very well as he was in such a bad state. I am so angry, I would love to get my hands on the person who did this!"

The black cat, named Salem, belongs to her 28-year-old daughter, who was left brain damaged after suffering adverse effects to a whooping cough vaccine as a baby.

Olivia is chairman of the Vaccine Victim Support Group and has campaigned for Government compensation for families with vaccine damaged children.

"Melissa is heartbroken. We have three cats but Salem belongs to Melissa. He is a beautiful cat with a lovely, affectionate nature.

"I hope the person who did this reads what I have said and realises exactly what they have done," said Olivia.

RSPCA spokeswoman Lucy Harding said: "Anyone who knows anything about this incident should call the RSPCA. Airgun attacks can cause a tremendous amount of pain and suffering to defenceless animals and last year about 900 such attacks were dealt with by the RSPCA in England and Wales.

"The society has been campaigning for many years to curb mindless attacks, such as this on countless pets and wildlife."