PET owners are being warned that their animals could be in danger after a family found one cat shot and another poisoned.

David and Sharon Boughen of Lower Swaines in Epping have leafleted dozens of their neighbours after the double attack on their animals which cost one of them their life.

Hendrix, their Persian cat is recovering at home after he was shot with an air rifle at the start of the month, but when the Boughen’s came home from a family holiday last week they found to their horror that their other cat Buster was about to die.

Speaking to the Guardian as he buried his pet Mr Boughen said: “He had breathing difficulties and because he had been poisoned and he had to be put to sleep yesterday afternoon. He died virtually in the vet’s arms. The vet was so shocked, he said they are just pond life.”

Within an hour of alerting his neighbours in Lower Swaines Mr Boughen had received reports of another suspected poisoning and of laser rifle sights being seen in the area.

He said: “I was quite surprised to see the neighbours take such a lot of interest.

“We notified the police and an officer came round, he said we will get an extra patrol to come around the area and look out for kids.”

The air rifle pellet that hit Hendrix is still in him after the vet decided it would be more risky to remove it.

Mrs Boughen said: “It went through his lung and the slug is in his chest cavity. The nurse that day when I took Hendrix in said there were quite a few cats in our area with pellets in them.”

At the Forest Veterinary Centre on Henmall Street vet Ken Burley said that it was not easy to deliberately poison a cat and condemned the easy availability of air rifles.

He said: “Kids really shouldn’t have them, what if there had been a person walking along behind that cat? Some of these new air rifles are extremely powerful and another kid died yesterday.

“We had a cat about six months ago that had been shot through the spine and occasionally we will X-ray a cat for some other reason and find a pellet in there.”

Epping community Inspector Craig Carrington said: “If people are firing air pistols outside the boundaries of their houses that is an offence.

"We are concerned with any incident where a firearm is involved. If people have any concerns they should contact their local neighbourhood policing team, the council or the RSPCA for reassurance.”