Cat injured in pellet gun shooting at lodge
KYALAMI- Tracy Jay, a long-term tenant at Cherry Country Lodge left the lodge after the owner's husband, Alex Gulyas, shot her cat Collar.
On 26 September last year, Jay’s cat was shot with a pellet gun.
According to Jay, the pellet punctured Collar’s skin and lodged itself between the cat’s lung cavity. Jay incurred R6 000 in vet bills, which she later deducted off her rent. The cat did however survive.
Gulyas who was responsible for the shooting said, “The entire thing was a misunderstanding that was later blown out of proportion.” He said the lodge has communal gardens consisting of a flock of chickens that lay free-range eggs for guests.
Cherry Country Lodge former managers Albert Insel and her wife Lin Insel, who had been managing the lodge for a year, owned two cats that lived on the property. Gulyas said the cats were suspected of killing four of his chickens. He said he often saw their cat sitting on the chicken cage.
“I warned them that should my chickens continue to be killed, I will shoot the cat,” he said. On the day of the incident, he said he was alerted that the cat was on the cage again. He said, he got his pellet gun and fired a shot.
“I didn’t mean to hurt the cat, I don’t harm animals,” he said. According to former manager Lin, Gulyas often goes around shooting birds on the property. Gulyas said, ” I shoot Indian Mynas because they dig out the thatch and I pay about R10 000 to repair it.”
“Things get blown out of proportion and facts get embellished,” he said.
Cherry Country Lodge owner said she is sorry and her husband has no business interests in the lodge, and that this was not a reflection of her business.
