A $1,000 reward is being offered to find the person who shot a cat in Carmel between July 2 and July 4.

Investigators say the 7-year-old cat named Simon had returned home with a gunshot wound. Police say Simon was shot in his rear end.

They say they don't know how long Simon's trek was.

He was taken to the Brewster Veterinary Hospital where the bullet or pellet was found in his body. Some of the pieces were removed in a two-hour surgery, while other fragments will remain inside the cat.

Simon also had to have part of a bone removed and may have a limp forever. His owner, Christine Johanssen, says she's worried he may have an infection.

Police say the suspect who shot the cat could face felony charges with years of prison time.

Johanssen says Simon will remain inside from now on. He is one of nearly a dozen pets in the household.