A bizarre shooting has a Mechanicsburg family wondering why someone would target their pet cat.

At first, the Smyser family assumed 4-year-old Bogart was hit by a car. "I thought he was a goner," Rebecca Smyser said.

When they spoke with doctors at Willow Mill Veterinary Hospital, the Smysers found someone shot Bogart with a pellet gun.

"Most likely it was not an accidental shooting," Dr. Tom Munkittrick said. "It was very much shot right at the chest, right where the heart was."

The pellet didn't puncture Bogart's heart, but he barely survived. He's been on oxygen and antibiotics since his emergency surgery earlier this week.

Doctors couldn't remove the pellet. They did have to take his damaged right lung.

Although they didn't have to, the Smysers are paying thousands of dollars for Bogart's treatment and care because, to them, he's more than just a cat.

"He is part of our family," Smyser said. "Bogart is a member of our family."

The Smysers reported the shooting to police, but with little evidence there's little investigators can do.

"It's sad people are still out there shooting at animals like this," Munkittrick said.

Rebecca Smyser called what happened simply thoughtless. "I don't feel any anger," she said. "Just think before you act."

The road to recovery could take a while. There's a chance Bogart could come home by the weekend.

The Smysers adopted Bogart from PAWS about eight months ago. PAWS has a fund for people who need to care for their pet in an emergency.

That fund is reportedly depleted, as the family found out. So the Smysers are reminding folks to donate to PAWS if possible to help other folks who may need it.

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