To have cycled into a cat

[Rhododendron]

Background: I'm new to cycling and not very good at it yet.

I was cycling along, fairly slowly, when a cat ran into the road ahead of me. Since it would be so much more manoeuvrable than me, I carried on, assuming it would avoid me. But it ran straight under my front wheel!

I don't think it was (hope not, anyway!) particularly hurt since it carried on running and disappeared through a gate. (I stopped.)

Was I BU? Should I have tried to avoid it?

Bit confused since I thought cats were rather more sensible than that? DH (experienced cyclist) says he's never needed to avoid a cat.

Sorry can't....thought you were having a dig and being sarcastic. Nobody should quit learning to drive or ride over accidental animal death/injury though.

Oh, I stopped learning to drive as I'd spent about a thousand pounds on lessons but was still absolutely awful at it. The pheasant incident was just the cherry on top...

Nobody should quit learning to drive or ride over accidental animal death/injury though

Unless you regularly hit elephants. Then, you should probably quit.

This is why I have an indoor cats only. They don't have great road sense.

You were wrong not to stop but we all make mistakes. It is done now and I guess you won't do it again?

They are the most beautiful, special creatures on earth

If they are so beautiful and special then the owners should keep them indoors where they cannot come to any harm either from humans or other animals. If you let your cat roam free then you run the risk that it might come to harm from a person or other animal.
I would not deliberately run over a cat or any other animal, partly because I would feel guilty and sad for the cat owner, but mainly because I wouldn't want to damage my car by having an animal thud into the bodywork.

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE tell me how you run over a cat with your front wheel whilst going slowly? Particularly when the cat is running. Please.

I am 5 minutes from experimenting with my dog, as I don't see how it can happen

Yes you would end up falling over in a bikecat knot

You wouldn't stop after to check. You'd be pre stopped on account of falling off.

Yeah, I love how people can say their cats are beautiful and special but happily allow them outside to end up as roadkill.

Outside is dangerous for cats. I prefer to keep mine safe and have plenty of toys for them so they keep happy indoors.

And it's now 4 minutes till I get Labrador and bike out.

HoneyDragon - record it and you could become a Youtube sensation!

Labrador is too big for the experiment to work; you will end up with a buckled wheel.

Do you want to borrow my Jack Russell? She is sort of cat-sized.

In bike comps and road trials cats have been hit, sometimes fatally. But the cyclists have also been injured, the cat usually flips in the wheel and hits the fork. But you are talking speeds of 20mph upwards.

Maybe it was a ghost cat? Who was run over in a past life.

Of course it's unreasonable to hit a cat with your bike, when you easily could have applied the brakes. I'm a bit perplexed that braking was not your natural instinct, actually. I've been riding a bike since I was in kindergarten, and driving a car when I was 16, and any time something has crossed in front of me, it's been second nature for me to stop.

Impatient and Safu

I do keep my cats indoors!

They are far too precious and special to be allowed out.

If I was out riding my bike, I'd sooner break every bone in my body than run over a cat.

If I was out riding my bike, I'd sooner break every bone in my body than run over a cat.

Do you want a prize for being such a fool?

I don't like dogs & successfully managed to run over two at the same time on a duel carriageway doing 70mph. I really don't like dogs, but I would have avoided them if it had been safely possible. It wasn't as they just dashed across, a car was too close behind to brake & another car was in the inside lane.

I always try to avoid running over creatures if possible - creatures I can see, naturally - I don't worry about microbes or even the odd worm. Try to avoid toads at this time of year especially.

Well done Derek! Ferrets are nasty & they smell dreadful. When I posted about trying to avoid all creatures I'd forgotten about ferrets…

Derek are you also an estate agent? I understand that swinging a cat by the tail is a standard measuring technique, especially for bijoux city apartments.

Another house cat owner here. I sometimes feel mean keeping him in but he has a good life and the alternative is too risky, especially after reading some of the comments on here.

Dog won't lie down in front of the bike she keeps sitting up to see what I'm doing.

Doesn't move though, good dog.

Get OP so ride over it first Honeydragon