A feral cat that made headlines after surviving a gunshot to the face is now settling into a new home with a loving owner.

Oak, believed to be eight years old, was found seriously injured last March and taken into the care of Cats Protection’s Swale branch.

Vets initially believed he had a cancerous lump in his cheek, but later discovered shrapnel from an air rifle pellet in the wound.

The shocking incident attracted national media coverage, and made the moggy somewhat of a local celebrity.

After recovering from his injuries, he was taken in by RJ Newman, who lives in Upper St Ann’s Road, Faversham.

“He was living feral on a nature reserve on the Isle of Sheppey,” the 60-year-old said.

“He was almost certainly born there and had been living wild for eight years. He hadn’t had much human interaction at all.

“A local person who lives there handed him over to Cats Protection because they found him too weak to move and covered in blood.

“He had a broken leg and had been shot in the face. “If he hadn’t been found, that would have been it for him.”

A vet operated on Oak’s leg to reset it and removed the pellet from his cheek, but all of the teeth on the left side of his mouth had been shattered.

Mr Newman added: “When no one is looking at him he moves really fast, but he is a little more relaxed now.

“He runs and leaps like the most athletic cat ever. But when he lands on his arthritic joints, he complains about the pain.”

Being a feral cat, Oak has had to adapt to domestic life - including learning not to jump into windows.

He is also adept at hunting birds and mice, having chased wild rabbits in his previous life on the Isle of Sheppey.

“If he comes across a plastic bag, he will rip it open to see if there is food in it,” Mr Newman said.

“He has clearly come across human rubbish bags before and scavenged through them.”