A FAMILY'S cat miraculously survived after being shot four times by callous thugs on Saturday night.

Three-year-old Tigger was rushed to emergency vets after being found in the garden 'covered in blood'.

Owner Sarah Taylor, of Reginald Road, Kendray, said her pet often goes to her mum Amanda's house in nearby Birch Road for something to eat.

Tigger failed to turn up when called in by Amanda, but she then noticed the stricken cat in her garden around 30 minutes later when she answered the door to a takeaway delivery driver at 10.15pm.

Sarah frantically rushed to her mum's house and found her pet struggling to move.

"It was devastating," Sarah said. "I honestly didn't think he would make it to the vets because of the state he was in. We thought he had been hit by a car.

"But the vet told us that he had been shot by what was most likely an air rifle at close range because his fur was burnt and there were four puncture wounds."

Tigger, who survived his ordeal, will now have surgery this week.

"Someone has done this intentionally and it's devastated our family," Sarah added.