[Closed] car drivers and killing pets

You would need to take it to a vets / RSPCA etc. to see if it's chipped.

Found a cat in our garden two years ago between Christmas and New Year. Lying stretched out like it was asleep.
Double bagged it and into cardboard box, rang my vets, explained the situation and they took it in. They confirmed that it was natural causes and they read the microchip and contacted the owner.

I hit a cat once..... 🙁

dashed out from a driveway with a wall that obscured the view, braked hard and the front dipped but the cat went under the front bumper with a bang.

pulled over and stopped and I genuinely couldn't find the poor thing, walked around for about 10 mins looking along the road and in front gardens. I hope it was ok, my heart says it probably crawled off and died somewhere.... I still feel bad

The cat may be chipped however not sure if many cat owners do this. I'm more a dog person and guess more dogs are.

I agree with you that moving it to the road side is a minimum and if there is ID then follow it up and let them know. Its quite gauling that someone can run anything over and just leave it.

Might just be me but at least I would think of trying to dispose of it appropriately or let the family if it could be ID'd rather than squashed. I guess its about dignity.

Nice one MrMo,

We are cat owners, currently renting by a busy road. Moving 1st Oct so we hope our cats will live until then...

Our neighbours cat was hit by a car, he made it home and died on the owners lap..... we think that loads of cars just go faster than the 30kmh limit.

If ours do get killed its nice to know that someone made the effort so that although it is dead, its not just ground into the tarmac...

We used to cat sit for the neighbours very old cats. They said that if they die, just bag them and pop them in the freezer until they get home....

Smiling at the above.

One of our cats was hit by a motorbike - the rider came round all the houses nearby until he found someone who was in (we were out) and between them, they got the cat to the vet, where he recovered. Would certainly have died otherwise. So there are decent folk out there. (Bike riders, anyway.)

We would like to trace the biker to thank him.

should mention i was cycling to work so no way to really carry the cat. I have sent an email to the local cats protection in case someone contacts them.

Problem is main road on the back of newish housing estate. Could be from anywhere so can't really go door knocking.

Cats really are stupid when it comes to roads!

Pets that use our hard-earned roads without paying tax nor even a word of thanks get what they asking for at the end of the day if you ask me and should've read the green cross code because that's what we won that war about, bloody communists. [/daily fail]

I hit a cat once.....

dashed out from a driveway with a wall that obscured the view, braked hard and the front dipped but the cat went under the front bumper with a bang.

pulled over and stopped and I genuinely couldn't find the poor thing, walked around for about 10 mins looking along the road and in front gardens. I hope it was ok, my heart says it probably crawled off and died somewhere.... I still feel bad

+1

Dark winter night, cat ran out between two parked cars. Horrible "dooga dooga dooga" sound as I ran over it. Stopped but couldn't find it.

We were behind a 4x4 who hit a cat. They just clipped the back legs of the cat, enough for it to look like it had crushed the poor things pelvis as it pulled itself to the side of the road. The 4x4 driver obviously knew they had hit it as they slowed, then stopped for a split second then hesitated away. We stopped and picked up the cat as carefully as we could and knocked on nearby doors. Second door we knocked were the owners who were upset obviously but absolutely stunned that we had gone to the trouble to help the cat. I remember at the time being a bit troubled by it all. That someone could just drive away and also that the owners were so surprised that someone cared. I'm not really a cat person but I was so horrified at seeing the poor thing get run over, there is no way I couldn't try and do something. Likewise I'd like to think I'd do similar to you mrmo if I saw a dead cat.

Incidentally the cat was so badly injured it didn't make it as far as the vets sadly.

Moral of the story - Britain is a nation of extremes;

Extremely decent people and extremely c**tish people.

I seen one get run over while I was walking home from work late one night. I lived in a flat so couldnt hang onto it for long. Walked into the countryside & laid the poor chap to rest next morning. Vets took some details & a few weeks later the owners called me. They seemd somewhat bemused that I'd gone to all that trouble. I didnt do it for them, I did it for the cat.

looked out of the bathroom window last week and saw a cat laid out on the grass at the end of the front garden. Tapped on the glass but not a twitch so went and checked it out and sure enough it was dead with a little bit of blood and clear liquid coming out of it's nose 🙁

OH had just got back from her night shift (vet) and when we picked it up it was stiff as a board so it must have been someone going to work at about 7-8am that had clipped it and it crawled through the hedge and just looked like it was sleeping.

Knocked on the door of the people opposite and it was one of theirs. Poor little bugger. We live in a quiet little village (pretty much one narrow street parallel to a main road) but people still blast it up and down.

Good mate has lost two cats in the last 9 months, both times drivers just ****ed off and left them in the road 😐

Saw someone run over a cat in a transit once, and the turd didn't even stop. Sadly the cat had no id on it. I would have liked to have been able to find the owners, and tell them that at least someone had had the decency to stay with the poor thing as it died.

Both mine have ID tags and microchips.

Having said that, Cat no 1 got hit by a car once, and still jumped in through the kitchen window and demanded food. Didn't bat an eyelid. We didn't even know anything had happened until we took him to the vets next day as he had a small lump on his side that we thought was an abcess. Turned out to be 3 broken ribs and a displaced sternum. Somebody must have known that they had hit him though.

thinking about it on the way home, i suppose i shouldn't be surprised. If people will try and maim and kill cyclists, knock down pedestrians and then just drive off what chance has someones pet got?

When I were a lad Mums cat Henry got hit and broke his back leg
crawled home and we took him to the vets where they bandaged him up
He lived in a cupboard next to some hot water pipes for a few weeks and emerged with a very stiff leg but got on with life .
A couple of years later got hit again bust the same leg and had it removed Yep back in the same warm cupboard for recovery .

He was still a bonkers cat when he adapted to three legs and had a couple more RTA`s before passing away from old age but must have used up all nine lives

Ok, I'll bite; if you care so much about your pet that you think it's ok to let it wander around in the road then you should expect to lose it. It isn't the drivers fault, it's the owner's.
I hope no driver ever swerves to avoid a pet and wipes out a pedestrian or cyclist.
And, you were probably expecting this too, if someone runs over the ****er that uses my garden as a toilet then I'd shake their hand.

Whine away.

shifter - Member

Ok, I'll bite; if you care so much about your pet that you think it's ok to let it wander around in the road then you should expect to lose it. It isn't the drivers fault, it's the owner's.
I hope no driver ever swerves to avoid a pet and wipes out a pedestrian or cyclist.

Whine away.

Does the same apply to kids with no road sense?

Yeah - because pets and children are, like, just the same thing.....

Was deeply upset at a very young age after seeing a cat get run over while I was waiting for the school bus. A horrible, horrible experience too awful to recount here but for me its a constant reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on the roads

Ok, I'll bite; if you care so much about your pet that you think it's ok to let it wander around in the road then you should expect to lose it. It isn't the drivers fault, it's the owner's.
I hope no driver ever swerves to avoid a pet and wipes out a pedestrian or cyclist.
And, you were probably expecting this too, if someone runs over the ****er that uses my garden as a toilet then I'd shake their hand.

What a ridiculous attitude.

I haven't read every single post but has anyone actually suggested swerving to avoid a pet and wiping out a pedestrian or cyclist ?

These are people pets we're talking about here there's no need for such a callous and insensitive attitude. Learn a bit of decency 💡

And pets aren't the only animals to be found on the road, birds, foxes, badgers, toads, etc., also sometimes find themselves in the paths of cars. Wherever possible I try to avoid hitting them by slowing down, using my steering wheel, etc. Hooting often works well for clearing the road ahead of animals and birds.

If I do unavoidably hit an animal, and I can only recall hitting a dog which dashed out in front of my car once, then I deeply regret it. I have avoided hitting countless animals. And I have never hit a pedestrian or cyclist.

Ok, I'll bite

So will I.

You're a nob.

I shall now ban myself accordingly.

When I was a boy scout me and my group saw a cat hit by a car. We tried to do the right thing but I'm not sure the owners were chuffed that their 10 year old opened the front door to a us holding out the ex cat saying "is this yours " my youth is full of things I shudder to recall but that is in the top 5.

Well seeing as you've broken at least 3 of the forum rules in that post, and I've just reread them, you deserve a banning tbh.

Even after editing..

I stopped to help an obviously injured but obviously still alive by the side of the road in camberley in about 2005. Had obviously only just happened. Cars streaming past it but noone stopped. I picked it up and had to call the office to find me a vets to take it too. It died later that day. Still upsets me now if I'm honest. I could almost understand if the driver didn't know they had hit it, but it beggers belief to me that people would drive past an injured and suffering animal like that. Poor little thing was meowing for all it was worth.

I was driving home once and saw my cat sitting in the gutter on the main road, about 200 yards from the house. That was probably the most careful coaxing I've had to do with him. Now lives with my parents on a quieter residential road where people drive much quicker...

I hit a cat once.....

Should be fine. It's the second time that usually does the real damage.

we've had three cats run over. two of them we'd got from the RSPCA as a pair, they were killed within a fortnight of each other 🙁

Latest cat was got from RSPCA as an indoor cat. he likes it that way, we like it that way. He really is not interested in being outside. he prefers to be on the computer:
[img] [/img]

Well seeing as you've broken at least 3 of the forum rules in that post, and I've just reread them, you deserve a banning tbh.

Quite right.

Three hours' sleep every night for the last three nights, a ~300 mile drive today and getting home to a thread advocating killing others' pets, you know, I'm happy to take that hit.

Seems I can't ban myself, so I've emailed the other mods to do it for me. See you on Thursday.

When I was about 6 my rabbit escaped and got run over by a neighbour. He brought it in and was quite distraught. So was I and I still remember the day.

Am I right thinking that if a driver hits a dog they should inform police, but not other small animals ?

Lol @cougar

IainC - yeah - I think that's the case.

Hit a dog - old english sheepdog, once in oldmeldrum, clipped it really, and it ran off howling into a cornfield and then shut up. the owners were right there and we spent ages looking for it, nothing doing. Drove back to base and found out I had to report it so went to cop shop - desk sergeant Was more pissed off at having to do the paperwork, especially as he worked out I'd driven past another station after the incident. Thought he was gonna arrest me.

Still feel bad about it all these years on, even though it just bounded out of the gate of a garden in front of me.

Cats are independent buggers. I have one and I'm pretty sure he got clipped a few years ago. Lost him for a few days then found him curled up next door, as close to our house as he could get.

That said, I don't blame the driver, the cat took his chance on the busy road. We can't stop him crossing the road and if he did come off on the wrong end of a fight with a car I'd be extremely surprised if anyone stopped.

We scrapped the neighbours cat off the road at 3am a few summers ago. We really didn't what their young kids waking up to see it spread across the tarmac later in the morning. Only noticed it as a couple of drunks in a shopping trolley woke us up rattling by.

On a similar note, when I was young, a friend caused several hundred pounds worth of damage to her and a stationary car avoiding a cat. 🙄

Is it not the case that legally you aren't actually required to stop if you've hit a cat but you are if you've hit a dog?

Not that this is an excuse but I'm sure I've heard it somewhere.

has anyone actually suggested swerving to avoid a pet and wiping out a pedestrian or cyclist ?

I wrote:

I hope no driver ever swerves to avoid a pet and wipes out a pedestrian or cyclist

a thread advocating killing others' pets

Three hours' sleep every night for the last three nights, a ~300 mile drive today

Years ago I saw a dead Westie at the side of the road. I pulled over as I'm a Westie-fan 🙁

Anyway the driver had helpfully moved the little fella into the gutter. Nice. So I felt round his collar (no disc etc) so I then called our local vet incase the owner called around (I wont reveal anymore detail/conversation- they asked me to drop him in. The answer was a firm 'no').

TBH OP - What could you expect a driver to do? It was horrible feeling around his collar and I wouldn't have expected/expect anyone to even get out of their car. Its a grim ask.

I stopped to check on what I thought was an injured Siamese cat - he seemed to be holding on of his rear legs up as he hopped along. Turned out it was a three legged cat. :/ Still glad I checked though.

shifter - Member

has anyone actually suggested swerving to avoid a pet and wiping out a pedestrian or cyclist ?

No.

So it was just over-dramatic bollox then - making the connection between avoiding killing someone's pet and "wiping out a pedestrian or cyclist". And a pathetic attempt to provide an excuse for a callous and insensitive attitude towards other people's pets. Just as I thought.

If i'm honest I don't think i'd stop if I saw something at the side of the road...
However I hope i'd stop if I actually hit something.

I've unfortunately hit a few wild animals in the past (including a barn owl) it is a horrible feeling, but living somewhere with deep drainage ditches either side of the road I won't go out of my way to swerve and avoid anything either.

not talking about swerving, endangering others etc. Just having the decency to at least check the animal you hit and put it to the side of the road so it doesn't get ground into the surface. On a motorway i can understand, but on suburban roads?

Although to be honest if you the driver hit something, you are responsible for sorting out your mess. I guess it is like so many things, want the benefits but without the responsibilites that go with it.

I disagree mrmo - the pet owner should be responsible for their pets. Sorry to paraphrase but: pet owners want the benefits of having a pet but without the responsibilities that go with it.

I disagree mrmo - the pet owner should be responsible for their pets. Sorry to paraphrase but: pet owners want the benefits of having a pet but without the responsibilities that go with it.

+1

Cats are more difficult to control than dogs though it has to be said. I can keep my dog on a lead around roads. I have little sympathy with some of the owners I see who never put their dog on a lead, and insist that their dog is so well behaved they don't need to be on one - all it takes is for a dog to see a cat, squirrel or something and they're off.

I think it's fairly rare for a car driver to intentionally kill a pet really, and most would feel pretty bad if they didn't see an animal or an animal ran out in front of them and they couldn't stop in time.

30mph means jack all even if cars are sticking to a limit, you hit a cat at 30mph you will probably kill it.

IANAL but someone told me that dogs are considered fully domesticated and you should report it to the police if you hit one, but cats are considered wild and you don't have to (although it may be polite and nice to do so).

The level of criticism offered on here for suggesting that the owner of an animal might bear some responsibility for what happens to their pet if they allow it to roam freely shows just how loving and caring cat owners are.

If you're that invested in the wellbeing of your little furry friend then try to help society at large by not letting it play on the road FFS. (This wee rule can also apply to the owners of children, dogs, horses, hamsters etc. etc. although they seem to need reminding less frequently than cat owners).

I think it's fairly rare for a car driver to intentionally kill a pet really

I doubt it's quite as rare as I'm sure you'd like to think it is, going by my experience and what I have witnessed.

If the cat is on a lead then its unlikely to wander into the road and get run over.
If you don't want your cat to be in danger of getting run over dont let it go in the road, it's quite simple.

Was once in a minibus with the Judo club when we hit a dog that ran into the road in front of us. Not sure what scared it more, being hit by a Transit or 10 blokes jumping out and chasing after it! Never got close as it legged it off through the park at high speed.

Many animals will run off initially, operating on the enormous dose of adrenaline before holing up somewhere quiet or dragging themselves home. Not always easy to find them after if they do run off. However it would be nice if everyone at least stopped to check if they thought they had hit something.

I killed a kitten last year in my car... It was completely unavoidable. I have never felt so bad, truly horrible 🙁

Just claiming on shifters insurance as he drove into the back of my car....

I had to stop quickly for something in the road. I suppose I could have hit it but I was paying attention and could stop in time. Unfortunately he was travelling to close to stop for some reason....

How is accidentally hitting a pet dog / cat / rabbit and not stopping, different from hitting a wild fox / badger / rabbit and not doing so? I'm sure that the dying pet doesn't have moral outrage that they are a different class of animal and should be saved. I'm also sure that a dog and a fox both feel pain.
Who decides what animals are worth trying to save or not, is a Labrador worth saving more than a Pitbull?

I'd stop and try to indentify the owner of any livestock or pet I hit. Especially a tasty one. Cue Mitchell and Webb video. Nearly got a lamb yesterday.

Can't say I'd be particularly comfortable about banging on doors trying to find the owner of a squished moggy though, even if it wasn't my fault, as chances are I'd be the undeserving target of their misdirected emotional response.

as chances are I'd be the undeserving target of their misdirected emotional response.

I would suggest opposite, ie it is very unlikely that you would be to be the target of their misdirected emotional response. In fact the chances are that they would be very grateful that you had bothered to stop and informed them of what had happened.

If you don't want your cat to be in danger of getting run over dont let it go in the road, it's quite simple.

Quite.

A friend hit a cat on the A55 at 70+ mph. It turns out a cat can do a surprising amount of damage to a Vauxhaul Astra at that speed, and had the road been busier, it could have resulted in a very nasty accident.

But, of course, Tiddles is well behaved and never goes far 🙄

I guess the dice would roll as I walked up the driveway. Quick calculation based on the number of sofas/trampolines/empty Stella can in the front garden plus the size of the gathering mob is always a handy guide though.

Ah I see, you're a self-appointed judge of other people's characters, despite the fact that you might never have met them.

Do you often drive through areas where the lower classes live btw ?

I am Paul Dacre and I claim your outraged 50p.

Ah I see, you're a self-appointed judge of other people's characters, despite the fact that you might never have met them.

So we've met then?

I'm sorry, I thought it was you who felt outraged by pet owners who have trampolines.

Careful of the [i]"gathering mobs"[/i] when you drive through poor areas.

Careful of the "gathering mobs" when you drive through poor areas.

I often find that comfy middle-class liberal left forums are the worst for that kind of thing.

Ah bless, you're worried about both lower and middle class "gathering mobs".

You stick to posh company where you feel nice and safe.

Go Ernie, class warrior for poor pet owners. 😀

Driving home last night after a 250 mile trip I was bimbling along the dark lanes close to home only to round a corner and find a large cow and two calves standing in the road. A neighbour was trying to open the nearest gate to get them off the lane (it's a link road between villages and can be a bit of a racetrack).

I was amazed at the number of drivers who either spooked the cows by driving at them to get past or weaved in an out of them, all a bit dim when my van and Pat's car were either side of the animals/gates with hazards on.

It made getting them all back in a field a bit difficult which we did and then called a friend who may know whose they were. Hitting a fully grown Fresian at 40mph may need more than t-cut!

Anyway, to rephrase after a bit of class warfare fun, I'd always knock on doors to find an owner, but not without a bit of nervousness, as you just can't predict how people react when in shock. I wouldn't condemn anyone who felt too scared to do that (and didn't know about other ways to identify (chips etc).

EDIT Rogerthecat 🙂

Rogerthecat

I'm not sure that would help, unless you'd only given it a glancing blow

a glancing blow

That would only work on approximately 50% of cats, so it's probably a wise precaution.

rogerthecat - Member

Go Ernie, class warrior for poor pet owners.

I'm fairly sure that it wasn't me who said : [i]" Quick calculation based on the number of sofas/trampolines/empty Stella can in the front garden plus the size of the gathering mob"[/i]

It wouldn't occur to me on a thread about road fatalities involving cats to mention the social standing of a neighbourhood.

But perhaps you know better rogerthecat and it was me who mentioned it ?

A friend hit a cat on the A55 at 70+ mph. It turns out a cat can do a surprising amount of damage to a Vauxhaul Astra at that speed, and had the road been busier, it could have resulted in a very nasty accident.

seen what a full grown red deer does to a car? I only saw the aftermath, oh and the deer still in the middle of the road surrounded by bits of car! The driver would, going by the mess, had no windscreen, defective bumper, fluid leaks, but rather than move the carcass they appear to have reversed, then driven round it?

I think we all know the correct thing to do in this particular case. If you dont, then you have probably been tainted with a complete stick. DONT even get me started please.

But perhaps you know better rogerthecat and it was me who mentioned it ?

Well, I'll keep the right end of the stick and you can have the other one, eh? The social standing was intimated by the list from Martinhutch, but I was referring to this post:

ernie_lynch - Member
Ah bless, you're worried about both lower and middle class "gathering mobs".
You stick to posh company where you feel nice and safe.

But hey, let's ignore that if it gives you a reason to pick another argument where there was none to begin with. 😀

Our cat was hit on saturday morning, saw it happen as i was in the garden at the time, hell of a bang as the bumper hit him but when i ran to the front of the car there was no sign of him. spent all day searching gardens and back yards, knocked on every neighbours door but to no avail.

It was no fault of the driver, crack in the front of the bumper, fur attached and blood on the road bot no trail of blood to follow once he had reached the hedge. I thouht that was the last i'd seen of him.

Yesterday he walked back into the kitchen screaming his head off for food as if he had never been away! 😯 still covered in blood and his left ear full of it too. Trip to the vets and an x-ray but nothing to see!

think he used up 8 0f his 9 on that one!

I don't know wtf you're on about rogerthecat. Whether the owner has a sofa in their front garden, or a carefully manicured lawn, it doesn't make one iota of difference to my attitude with regards to hitting someone's pet, and I couldn't give a toss if the pet owner is potless, a multimillionaire, or comfortable middle class. To claim this makes me a "class warrior" as you have done is rather bizarre to say the least.

.

Yesterday he walked back into the kitchen screaming his head off for food as if he had never been away!

Made me chuckle and whilst it's clearly quite remarkable not really entirely surprising for a cat 🙂

My dad told me that when he was a kid they had one of the first cars in the village. One day they when to town as a family. A dog walker was heading home along the road with the dog on a lead. As my Grandads car drove past, the dog ran in front of the car and the poor thing got run over and killed. Probably happened because it had never seen a car.
Just reminds me to be very weary of [s]animals[/s] everything whilst driving/riding.

Ernie - I really find it hard to care if you do, but you do seem able to start a fight in an empty room by deliberately, or otherwise, misinterpreting something quite simple. 😀

Twas not I who mentioned sofas or any other items in gardens but don't let that put you off having a grumble.

<mod>
I think that's enough now. Cool your jets, you two.
</mod>

[quote=Cougar ]<mod>
I think that's enough now. Cool your jets, you two.
</mod>
I thought you were banned?

Twas not I who mentioned sofas or any other items in gardens but don't let that put you off having a grumble.

I'm aware of that. You decided to wade in. Wade in with some bizarre comment with regards to me being "class warrior for poor pet owners". I'm not "grumbling" about it, simply pointing out how I couldn't give a toss if the owner is rich or poor and how ridiculous that comment is.

And you'll be pleased to hear that I'm perfectly cool about everything Cougar. What's your opinion concerning what pet owners keep in their front gardens btw ? Any particular opinion about pet owners who have trampolines ? Would you stop and tell them that you've injured their cat ? Or do trampoline owning cat lovers frighten you a little ?

Equally chilled here Cougar, but thanks for the concern. 😀

I thought you were banned?

a) it was a self-imposed ban which I should probably dodge for mod duties and,

b) it's just run out.

onto the road?

you'll be pleased to hear that I'm perfectly cool about everything Cougar. What's your opinion

<mod>
Good. Stop arguing then.

I think my opinion on these matters is fairly well defined, not least of all on this very thread. I don't care who started the irrelevant 'class war' argument, it's finishing here. Play nicely.
</mod>

onto the road?

Very good. (-:

I think my opinion on these matters is fairly well defined, not least of all on this very thread.

I have absolutely no idea what your opinions are concerning cat owners with sofas in their front garden. Have you got one ?