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An "extraordinarily lucky" cat has survived being shot through the head with a CROSSBOW bolt.

Four-year-old moggie Moo Moo certainly used up one of his nine lives after being caught by the arrow which went in above his left eye and out behind his ear - but miraculously did not touch his brain.

Owner Donna Ferrari said the incident in New Zealand had made her "sick to my stomach", and she was now using social media to try and track down who is responsible for the horrible attack.

Donna found Moo Moo hidden in bushes on Monday afternoon with the huge bolt sticking out of his head.

(Image: Massey University)

She took him to her local vets, but they referred the serious injury on to Massey University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital where he had surgery to remove the arrow.

Surgeon Dr Jonathan Bray said: "The bolt went in just above the eye but was a glancing blow across the cranium, so didn't actually impact on brain tissue at all.

"It was really just a matter of opening up the track so we could clean up the contamination so it would heal up okay.

"There was a little bit of injury to his nose and eye socket, but he's an extraordinarily lucky cat. The velocity of the bolt hitting him would have been quite frightening, so he's very brave. He's very well this morning - bright and happy, the wound is doing fine and he's got nothing that is going to cause him any long-term harm."

Owner Donna said she had posted the shocking images of Moo Moo on social media to try and publicise the incident, which police are investigating.

She said: "Hopefully the person responsible is caught or feels so much hatred from the community that they never do anything like it again."