Disturbing images have been released of a domestic cat that was shot in the head 13 times with a slug gun in central Victoria.
Nine-year-old Smokey is recovering at his Carisbrook home after having 11 of the slugs removed but two of the pellets will remain embedded in his face.
RSPCA Victoria president Dr Hugh Wirth described the incident as shocking and told the ABC that whoever is responsible should be imprisoned.
"Jail is the only way to teach people a lesson, almost certainly these will be young males around about the age of 18 to 20 who have done this," he was quoted as saying.
"It's a pattern that we see throughout Australia and there's only one way to deal with it and that's jail."
A Maryborough police spokesman said Smokey was recovering at home under heavy medication.
"This is just a shocking incident where someone either working alone or in a group has shown no regard for animal life and left Smokey for dead," he said.
"The owners are just lucky that his long term memory does not appear to be affected and he has managed to make his way home."
Smokey disappeared early in the weekend and was missing for three days.
Dr Wirth said prevailing attitudes about cats being feminine in character and also being the big killer of native wildlife contributed to the cruel trend for torturing felines.
He told AAP that bow-and-arrow attacks on cats and shootings of larger birds like swans were on the rise.
He also claimed there was a "well-established link" between cruelty to animals by young people and harm to other adults later in life, urging parents to teach their children to respect life from an early age.
Maryborough police are looking for the person responsible and are appealing for anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au.
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