LEWISTON – A cat that was shot in the face and chest earlier this week will require further surgery to repair the damage, according to the animal’s owners.

Griffon the cat in better days. Photo submitted by the Lewiston Police Department

The 4-year-old cat named Griffon needs a leg amputated after it took a round from what police say was a small caliber firearm in an area of Pleasant Street near Scribner Boulevard.

“The bullet grazed his face and went through his chest and shoulder, lodging in his chest after shattering his shoulder,” owner Rob Philbrick wrote in a Facebook fundraiser. “We don’t want to lose him but we don’t have the $1,30o it’s going to take to have his leg amputated.”

Griffon’s owners have already spent $650 – money that had been earmarked for rent – on medical treatment for the cat, according to the post.

By Thursday afternoon, roughly $1,750 had been donated by more than four dozen people riled about the news that a cat had been shot.

“We are grateful and blessed to be able to receive the help so many people have given for Griffon,” Philbrick wrote.

Police on Thursday were continuing to search for the shooter. Investigators said it appeared the cat was shot with a small caliber gun, possibly a .22. Veterinarians removed the projectile from the cat’s midsection.

Investigators are asking that anyone with information call Lewiston Police Officer Anthony Zawistowski at 513-3001 ext. 6309 or Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout at at 513-3001 ext. 6322.

An X-ray shows a bullet lodged in Griffon, a 4-year-old cat that was shot in Lewiston. Photo submitted by the Lewiston Police Department