Nashville Neighborhood Cat OK After Being Shot In Eye With Arrow

BELLEVUE, TN -- A Bellevue neighborhood cat is recovering after surgery following an incident that left people horrified and outraged after the cat was found with a crossbow bolt in its eye Memorial Day.

Tim Wyatt told WKRN he walked into his backyard on Harrow Drive in the Cross Timbers subdivision Monday morning and found the cat nestled next to his garage with the arrow through its eye.

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"Horrifying, just terrible," Wyatt told the station. "How can somebody justify doing that? This is disgusting."

Wyatt told Fox 17 he tried to catch the cat - which is now called Harrow - but was unsuccessful, so he posted the news on NextDoor and, within minutes, people were spread throughout the neighborhood and were able to capture the feline.

"I never would’ve thought when we found that cat this morning, that within three hours the cat would be captured, at a vet and getting treatment," Wyatt told Fox 17. "It’s Memorial Day. It’s a holiday. People just came together. We’ve been getting constant messages from neighbors about how the cat is doing."

Kristina West with animal rescue Proverbs 12:10 got Harrow to a veterinarian in Burns, about 25 miles east, where the cat was stabilized and set for surgery Tuesday. The bolt itself was plastic, so it didn't show up on an X-ray, so the doctor wasn't sure how deep it was into the cat's skull. The rescue group posted later Tuesday that the arrow actually worked itself out on its own and the doctor was able to safely remove the eye and clean the injured area. Miraculously, Harrow didn't have any damage to his brain or mouth and the vet says he should be OK after a brief period of recovery.

Meanwhile, Wyatt told WKRN, he found another arrow in his carport.

"Discharging any kind of weapon in a neighborhood like this, no telling what you'll hit," he said. "They could have been shooting at the cat and hit a child or something else and cause great injury."

Wyatt filed a police report and Metro Police are investigating.

Proverbs 12:10 is taking donations for Harrow's care and its likely he'll be up for adoption once he's fully recovered.

Image via Proverbs 12:10