A poor OAP cat used up eight of his nine lives after being repeatedly shot.
But miraculously Marley survived.
The poor puss was found weak and in pain, but still fighting for his life.
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Vets discovered he had been peppered with pellets all over his frail body.
X-rays revealed the moggy had been shot at least eight times, with several lodged under his skin.
Vets decided not to remove them, as surgery would cause more harm than good.
Marley is also suffering from what carers believe to be stress-induced vomiting, but despite his ordeal, he hasn’t lost his gentle nature.
The heartbreaking discovery has left Nicole McGawley from Carrington Animal Rescue in Carrington, Manchester, “broken”.
Rescuers took Marley into care on 26 September.
He was microchipped but attempts to contact his owner failed, leading them to believe he’d been abandoned, as reported by Need To Know.
Nicole said: “I’m broken, I really am.
“I don’t know how rescuers keep going after seeing things like this.
“But for Marley, and for every other soul who’s been failed by humans, we’ll keep trying.
“I took Marley to the vets today to get his skin checked and to help with his vomiting, which we believe is stress-related.
“While there, I felt a lump on his head, one I somehow missed on Friday.
“It felt strange. Crunchy. Hard. Then I found another. And another.
“Our vet suggested an X-ray. I thought, no, it can’t be anything serious.
“Five minutes later, I heard words I’ll never forget ‘Nicole, he’s been shot. At least eight times.’
“A quick, unsedated X-ray showed a minimum of eight pellets lodged in his frail little body.
“Eight times this gentle, elderly soul was shot at and somehow, he still purrs.
“How can people do this? How can anyone look at a defenceless, elderly cat and do something so monstrous?
“In a few days once he’s settled a bit I’d like to get a senior blood panel done and snap tests but this is going to cost.
“If you can help me help Marley I would be eternally grateful.”
Animal lovers have rallied around Marley online, praising rescuers for giving the brave cat a second chance.
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