Veterinarian: ‘Kiki,’ Cat Shot With Pellet Gun Sunday, Will Recover

WEST WARWICK, RI — Kiki, a black cat shot with a pellet gun in Warwick Sunday, suffered injuries to his kidneys and spleen, but is recovering well at the Companion Animal Welfare Society (CAWS) veterinary hospital and is expected to return home Monday.

“The good news is, the cat’s really doing quite well,” said Dr. Paige Plumb, a veterinarian at the animal hospital on West Warwick Avenue.

The pellet entered one side of Kiki, punctured his spleen and both his kidneys, and lodged in his skin on the other side, Plumb said.

The RISPCA has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot the cat, according to Dr. Ernest J. Finocchio, director of the RISPCA.

Finocchio said the reward money has been offered anonymously by a friend of his and of the RISPCA who said he is tired of such acts of animal cruelty going unpunished. The reward is intended to encourage people with knowledge of who shot Kiki to speak up.

“It’s only right that someone come forward in this case, not only because of the money. It’s the right thing to do,” Finocchio said.

Whoever shot Kiki, Finocchio said, may do something more heinous, so it’s important to find the person and make sure they answer for the act.

The Warwick Police Department is investigating the shooting. The WPD’s phone number is 401-468-4200.

Plumb said cats’ kidneys rest in renal capsules, which were ruptured by the pellet, but the injuries are expected to heal with care. After, however, Kiki’s kidneys will have scarring, which will limit the cat’s lifespan.

Cats usually lose kidney function as they get older, Plumb said, so the scarring will speed that up in the long run. In the short term, Kiki is expected to recover. “A lot of this is just supporting him while his kidneys do what they need to do,” Plumb said.

Plumb said the attack on the cat is a sad reminder of the necessity of keeping cats indoors, even if they’d prefer to roam around outside.

“In this society, because of the busyness, and the number of cars, and the people who will do things like this, it’s important to keep them inside,” Plumb said.

Plumb said Kiki was transferred to their hospital Monday morning after the owners were unable to pay to keep Kiki at Ocean State Veterinary Hospital in East Greenwich. At CAWs, care is provided low cost on a sliding scale, and they take donations to help offset the expense of caring for animals.

In Kiki’s case, the bills are already paid for, Plumb said, but people interested in helping other animals in the future can send checks to the hospital at 88 West Warwick Ave., West Warwick, RI, 02893.