Bella recovers after being shot with her owner Sarah Rust.

THEY say that cats have nine lives and Bella is proof that it may not just be a myth.

That’s because Bella survived being shot by an air rifle because the pellet missed her spine and her abdomen by just a few millimetres.

Bella spent two nights at the vets after being shot close to her owner Sarah Rust’s home in The Walnuts, March, on Monday last week. It came 14 months after Bella’s sister Sugar was killed in a similar incident.

Sarah said: “The pellet passed her spine and bladder and missed them both. The vets cannot believe it - they said they’ve never seen anything like it.

“The pellet is still inside her and we are not going to get it removed - it won’t cause any harm and we don’t want to risk losing her under an anaesthetic.”

According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives.

The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations. Falling cats also often land on their feet, using an instinctive righting reflex to twist their bodies around.

The RSPCA is investigating the shooting, which took place at about 9.30pm. Anyone with information should contact the charity on 0300 1234 999.