The Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation has reported three separate cat shooting incidents in Larnaca and Paphos, calling for full investigations and warning that uncontrolled firearm use in residential areas poses a danger to public safety.
In Larnaca, a cat was reportedly shot with an air gun in a residential neighbourhood. The party said that discharging a weapon near homes was not only an act of cruelty but a direct threat to public safety, and called for a serious review of firearm possession rules.
Two further incidents were reported in the Paphos district. In the first, a cat was found shot and paralysed on 16 February 2026; X-rays confirmed the presence of a bullet in its body and the animal was subsequently euthanised. In a separate Paphos case, a second cat was found with multiple pellets in its body.
The Movement said its Animal Action Team is frequently called upon to handle such complaints, indicating the problem is not isolated but a recurring pattern. It criticised the initial police response to the Paphos incidents as falling short of what cases of this seriousness warrant.
Following contact between the party and police, those reporting the Paphos incidents were due to visit Paphos Central Police Station the following day, a development the Movement welcomed while maintaining that the initial handling had been inadequate.
The party called for thorough investigations using all available scientific evidence and full enforcement of existing animal welfare legislation and penalties, warning that impunity breeds violence.