They saw him with an arrow lodged in his spine. The photos immediately went viral, and a search for the poor cat began. He was later found by a volunteer who is caring for him.
News of the violent incident in the Ilbono area also hit social media and was reiterated by animal rights activist Enrico Rizzi.
"Human ferocity knows no bounds. For certain humanoids, a life sentence wouldn't be enough. And with the bogus Brambilla law," Rizzi wrote on his social media profiles, "they don't even spend a day in prison."
Outrage has been expressed by the online community, which in the hours following the report of the incident, which likely occurred Thursday evening, initiated a search of the area to locate the injured cat and provide it with necessary veterinary care.
Some activists had also called for the use of a drone to facilitate the search.