MARTINEZ, Calif., June 3 (UPI) -- A California appeals court says a man can sue his neighbor for the cost of treating his cat and for punitive damages after it was shot with a pellet gun.
The litigation has been going on for several years and has outlasted the cat, Pumkin, the Contra Costa Times reported. Pumkin, an orange-colored former stray, died in 2009 of causes unrelated to the shooting.
The appeals court in an opinion released Tuesday reversed a decision by a Contra Costa County court that Joseph Kimes can recover only the fair market value of the cat. The court said Kimes can recover "reasonable and necessary" veterinary expenses.
The cat was allegedly shot by Charles and Joseph Grosser as it sat on a fence between the two properties in Brentwood in 2005. The rear part of its body was paralyzed.
Kimes says he spent $6,000 on emergency treatment and another $30,000 on surgery that got Pumkin back the use of its hind legs.
