A New Zealand cat has miraculously survived a crossbow hit through the head. The "incredibly lucky" cat was rushed to the Massey Veterinary Teaching Hospital by its Wainuiomata family after it was shot in the head with a crossbow bolt.

The cat named Moo Moo was lucky to have survived the hit, according to hospital director Janet Molyneux. When an emergency call came in, the veterinary team had assumed the cat will suffer brain damage due to the crossbow hit.

Based on the medical team's findings, Ms Molyneux said the arrow had not damaged any part of the cat's brain or its eye. The team had assumed the worst but was happy to find the cat had not been critically harmed.

Veterinary doctors have concluded the cat will have a normal life as a family pet. According to veterinary surgeon Dr Jonathan Bray, the crossbow bolt had penetrated just above the cat's eye but did not reach the cranium. The bolt had not damaged brain tissue as originally feared.

The cat's owner, Donna Ferrari said their long-haired cat was fine on Oct. 21. She spotted the cat in their backyard on Oct. 22 with a crossbow bolt protruding from both sides of its head.

When first saw the cat, she thought the arrow was a toy but when she came closer, she saw the arrow had gone through the feline's head. The cat ran away when it saw her moving close and tried to remove the arrow against the step before hiding in the bushes.

Ms Ferrari looked for the cat but found she found it later lying motionless. One of her neighbours helped her get the cat out of the thick bushes. When the cat was taken to the vet, Moo Moo was surprisingly calm. The medical staff was shocked and the vet said he has never seen anything survive after an arrow piercing the head.

The cat was then taken to the hospital for an emergency surgery to remove the arrow. The surgery was a success and the cat is expected to make a full recovery. Doctors found minor injuries to the cat's nose and eye socket but everything else was fine.

Ms Ferrari now fears for her 3-year-old daughter who is known to play in the yard as well. She worries about the incident happening again but to her child. She hated the idea her child could have been hit instead of the cat.

Wellington SPCA investigator Ben Lakomy had heard of similar incidents involving animals. Mr Lakomy said the SPCA was disgusted by the idea of people targeting helpless animals, an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

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