Somebody tried to kill Chubby the cat.

Island County Animal Control Officer Carol Barnes is investigating the shooting of the kitty on North Whidbey as a possible felony animal cruelty case.

Chubby survived the shooting after a horrendous ordeal, but he will never be the same. A veterinarian had to amputate the cat’s back leg in an emergency surgery last Friday. The formerly-friendly cat has become scared of people, though she’s found solace with a black lab named Oscar.

“He just wants to cuddle with Oscar,” said Sherri Marsolek, the owner of the pets. “It’s very sweet.”

Marsolek, a resident of the Polnell neighborhood, said the 4-year-old orange cat disappeared for about a week. She allowed the feline to roam outside and come inside as he pleased.

On the night of July 30, Marsolek said she heard screaming in the garage and found Chubby “with his leg hanging.” She took the cat to an emergency hospital in Mount Vernon, where a veterinarian discovered bullet fragments in the cat’s rear. The vet amputated the cat’s back leg and much of his haunch.

The vet said the cat was probably shot a few days before Marsolek found him.

“It took that much time to get home,” she said. “He must have had a very strong will.”

Marsolek was very upset about the shooting. She’s posted flyers asking anyone who might know anything about the cat shooting to call animal control.

“It’s disheartening,” she said. “It makes me very sad and angry that someone could be that cruel.”

Chubby will now become strictly an indoor cat since he no longer has the ability to protect himself.

Barnes said she will continue to look into both this shooting and an earlier case of a cat shot with an arrow in the Fakkema Road area.

“It’s a crime for someone to shoot a cat, even if it’s on their property,” she said.

Anyone with information about the cases can contact Barnes through the ICOM dispatch center at 679-9567.