Kinkaid Pl resident Ron Blunden said his family started looking for 4-year-old Mitch after he went missing last Thursday.
‘‘He often went hunting, sometimes bringing rabbits home, but he was usually home by 3 or 4 o’clock,’’ Mr Blunden said.
He found Mitch’s body on Sunday, further from their home than expected, in Venus Way, an unsealed road extending from the end of Morning Star Tce.
An X-ray by his wife, a vet, showed a .177-calibre slug lodged in his right shoulder.
However, his left shoulder had been ‘‘completely shattered’’ by what they suspected was a larger projectile, possibly from a .22 rifle, which had then exited his body.
It was likely Mitch had been shot by someone living in the area who might normally target rabbits, he said.
‘‘No-one would bring a gun to Arthurs Point to shoot rabbits.
‘‘People are shooting them - there’s a lot of that going on around Queenstown - but if you can’t tell the difference between a domestic cat and a rabbit, then should you have guns?’’
Mitch was a Devon Rex, a distinctive breed with large ears.
He belonged to his son, Chad, who was very upset.
‘‘He was a beautiful cat.’’
Queenstown area response manager Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson said police were keen to hear from anyone with information about the incident.
