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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have cycled into a cat

314 replies

Rhododendron · 30/03/2014 21:39

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.

OP posts:
Silverdaisy · 30/03/2014 23:06

Or as Merci said Smile

SoonToBeEaster · 30/03/2014 23:06

I really don't think you should be cycling. You thought you'd second guess it; good job it wasn't a toddler really. If something is in front of you, you stop. If it's an animal you check that you won't hit an oncoming vehicle or a person if you swerve to avoid it. It's better to hit an animal than to cause a road accident involving children or endangering your life but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

BrianTheMole · 30/03/2014 23:08

It was an unlucky experience op. I cycle a lot, and that has never happened to me. Cats always run a mile. You obviously didn't expect that to happen. Fair enough. I'm sure next time you will remember this experience and brake.

limitedperiodonly · 30/03/2014 23:15

BrianTheMole Can I have an owl as a TIC? It flew into the A-frame of my car at twilight. We were both quite startled but it obviously came off worse.

[remorse]

southeastastra · 30/03/2014 23:17

in the last three weeks i have had two cats run straight across the front of my car. are there alot of thicker cats being bred? or just not street savvy?

thedrunkenduck · 30/03/2014 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

southeastastra · 30/03/2014 23:22

that's rather rude drunken duck

Tiredmumno1 · 30/03/2014 23:25

That is just nasty and rude duck

Original poster
Rhododendron · 30/03/2014 23:28

Yeah, I guess I knew I wbu or I wouldn't have posted in the hope I wasn't, lol!

I'm trying to get into cycling, but I really hate it and I find it really difficult. Maybe I should just give up. Sad

Normally I keep well away from anything that moves and most things that don't, but I'm trying to be more adventurous, hence going on a road on my own Shock and I was just so convinced the cat would divert. I suppose this has taught me a lesson, anyway!

The cat carried on running without pausing so I don't think it was very hurt.

OP posts:
Silverdaisy · 30/03/2014 23:30

The cat could be okay, or have gone away with internal bleeding. I would have stopped and try find it.

SoulJacker · 30/03/2014 23:31

I've killed a variety of small creatures on my bike, generally though they've not been visible until running across my path.

I've also taken avoiding action before, passing a duck with a wide berth only to have it fly in front of my wheel as i passed.

I do think in this scenario you should have been able to slow down. Was the cat just sitting there or crossing in front of you?

BrianTheMole · 30/03/2014 23:34

No don't give up op. Eventually you'll grow to love it. Really.

southeastastra · 30/03/2014 23:35

how could you tell if a cat had internet bleeding?

southeastastra · 30/03/2014 23:35

oops internal not internet Grin

BrianTheMole · 30/03/2014 23:36

I know this is a stupid question limited but whats a TIC?

Nyborg · 30/03/2014 23:36

It's kitten season which often means that pregnant cats go further from home, to more unfamiliar areas, looking for safe places to give north and/or food for themselves or kittens. That could be the reason for a seeming spate of foolish cats.

BrianTheMole · 30/03/2014 23:38

There are enough numptys in the world without you adding to the population.

Yep. Best you take your own advice drunkenduck

whitepuddingsupper · 30/03/2014 23:38

Cats can be extremely thick, like mine who gets herself into all sorts of trouble she can't get out of without help, never assume a cat won't put itself in harm's way.

Silverdaisy · 30/03/2014 23:39

South - How can you tell it doesn't have internal bleeding when last it was seen was running away?

My point is the op can't make another assumption that the cat will be ok. We all heard what happend when it was assumed the cat wouldn't get in the way.

Caitlin17 · 30/03/2014 23:43

People assume that because many cats are beautiful, elegant, graceful, aloof and supercilious they are also intelligent. They are not. The average cat is considerably dimmer than the average dog. However the averagely dim cat might be surprised that a human being on a cycle is too dim to be able to use brakes.

CorusKate · 30/03/2014 23:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

limitedperiodonly · 31/03/2014 00:00

Taken Into Consideration brian. It's what habitual offenders say in court.

In my defence, the squirrel legged it. The owl sadly didn't. An unidentified small bird took on my windscreen and lost on the M11 in 1993 and a herd of bees bought la ferme in northern France in the same year.

When I switched my wipers on in the rain at Dover there were some mushy insectoid remnants.

There was quite a bad moment with some pheasants in Woodstock, Oxfordshire in the mid-90s too.

Oh, and that time I was following my BIL and the badger. But it was already dead before I ran it over.

And I was on a bus behind the back of Buckingham Palace when the driver next to us ran over most of a mother duck's parade of ducklings Sad. He wasn't going fast. They just came from nowhere.

It happens.

BrianTheMole · 31/03/2014 00:10

What sort of owl was it? This matters you know.

limitedperiodonly · 31/03/2014 00:17

It was a brown fluffy one. Fuck. What kind of defence is that? I'm going down, aren't I?

BrianTheMole · 31/03/2014 00:33

Oh my god? A brown fluffy one? Ten years for you at least! Did it look like this?

To have cycled into a cat