Feel dreadful about an accident :(

[Martha200]

Two nights ago, after dropping husband off with a friend at pub, left the pub car park, started off, didn't get that far or even to 30mph before a big dark cat fled into the road.. I went to stop/brake hard as one does, but the cat went between the two wheels and the back tyre completely killed the cat, I saw in my wing mirror as I prayed it was ok, it was not. Turned the car around as soon as I could (road parked with cars on either sides) had my young son in the car with me, so thought it best to park in the pub car park before asking my husband to return to check the collar, to let owner know, as on the way back I knew it had left this life. Another cat who had chased it I believe was sat by the roadside.
Think in between turning car around and parking someone must have found the owner to inform them, because I heard the loud inital sob .. husband went to approach owner for me who was carrying the cat as I wanted to offer to pay the fees for a funeral if wanted, but owner waved him away before entering their property.

I felt and feel so dreadful. I am a cat owner too, all I could think was how I had killed the equivelent of the name of my cat and how sad I have made another family

I so did my best to avoid the cat, but it literally came out from behind a park car and so fast.. I feel so sad

[AlistairSim]

Poor you!

What an awful and shocking thing to happen but it was an accident and sounds like you did all you could to avoid it.

Also, well done for being willing to try and trace the owners, I'm sure a lot of people would have just driven off.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Oh how horrible. It happens so often unfortunately. You weren't to blame - the cat won't have been aware of the impact I'm sure. Perhaps you could send a card to the owners or some flowers?

[McEdam]

Very sad. Poor moggy. Must have been very upsetting for you. Thank you for stopping though - made a big difference to us when one of our cats was run over that the driver knocked on our neighbour's door to try to find the owner. In that case, thankfully, our cat actually survived - the vet was astonished. But it would have made a difference even if the poor cat had died, knowing that the driver tried to help.

[BBBee]

very sad and of course you feel awful bit there really was nothing you could do - unavoidable.

Our car got hit by a car - not killed but broke her pelvis- a lot of pain and expense. I was sad but did not bear the driver any ill will.

[BBBee]

agree that the fact tht you stopped and tried to help will make a BIG BIG difference to how they feel.

It was awful but the things that were in your control you handled with compassion and understanding.

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

oh poor you

i lost a couple of cats to the roads when living with my parents and its very distressing. but know its not the drivers fault.

[BigGitDad]

My sister has had three cats runs over, and they were all Burmese Blues, cost her a fortune! The current one seems to have a bit more road sense though.
I ran over a squirrel today and killed it immediately, I did go back to check it was dead but felt very sad looking at it.
In this case I did not try to brake or anything as I have heard of so many accidents whereby people try to avoid the animal in the road.

[Martha200]

Thanks for your replies, really helps me to remind myself it was an awful accident.

Like I say I am a cat owner too, so would always try and trace the owner.. even now I feel sad and feel like crying when I pick up my cat and think of the poor owners who retrieved their puss

Not looking forward to the next time I drive along the road I will say!

[Martha200]

Biggitdad - yes, it was fortunate that also there were no other cars out driving at the moment in time because the situation could have been a lot worse.

[pucca]

I echo what everyone else has said Martha, there was nothing you could have done, a total accident.

I hit a cat once, i was hysterical and went back to see if it was ok, thankfully it was, i just clipped it with my bumper, but was totally up for taking it the vets and finding the owner etc.

2 of my cats completely disapeared, and they were complete home birds never went missing, never far from the house, i know they were either hit by a car or killed by a dog, there is no way they would just run away. I too commend you for trying to let the owner know, a horrible thing to have to do, but at least then the owner knows what has happened, nothing worse than being left in limbo

[McEdam]

The person that killed my sister's poor cat just left her there on the side of the road for my sister to find. Hideous.