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.

I hope the op can't drive

dammitsue I refuse to believe you think that.

my cats are lovely. you should meet them. I avoided a pigeon at great personal cost to myself in a bike.

I need to exersise far more restraint to avoid human annoyances than animal ones.

there are a fair few people I would gladly clip with a bike but I wouldn't of course. I would apply brakes like the op should have.

People pass TB on to people, does that make it OK to run them over?

OP, you have brakes for a reason, flipping use them!

'It's only a cat' brigade - yeah, a living creature that is capable of feeling pain suffering. Anyone who thinks it's OK to cause suffering really needs to have a long hard look at themselves.

Anyone who thinks it's OK to cause suffering really needs to have a long hard look at themselves.
Quite.

Hope you're a vegetarian with that pious attitude edam.

WTF is 'pious' about not wanting to cause animals suffering?

The OP may have made a slight error of judgement but TBH the cat is heading for the Darwin awards. If it can't run away from a slow cyclist it hasn't a hope in hell of avoiding a car.

Selfrighteous

Cat obviously expected OP to brake.

Yes yes cat is an entitled so and so

How fast were you going that you couldn't stop or slow down or avoid the poor thing?

If you can't control your bike then walk ffs.

How could you do that?

"Dammitsue you sound like a sociopath"

Don't know about that, Backinthering, but certainly there has been quite a bit published about this sort of lack of empathy, although (if I remember rightly) I think it was attributed to Narcissistic Personality Disorder, not to being a sociopath!

or just a nasty git really.

not meant for any
op on here as don't believe any mumsnetter would intentionally harm a cat.

the ops daft not evil.

Lol. I think you all need to step away from your ladybird book of psychology.

YWBU, poor thing. Hope it wasn't hurt, if not insured its owners could have a hefty vet bill if it was hurt. The cat wasn't to know you would cycle into it so you should of avoided it,

"I think you all need to step away from your ladybird book of psychology"

You already looked into this, then?

It says in my copy that women who will 'put themselves at great personal cost' to avoid pigeons, or who get upset when I lawfully don't risk myself for a cat need to work on their inferiority complexes. Cats are not worth the risk. Get. Over. It.

Actually kellyelly sounds like the sociopath, she is wanting to run over people. Yes, I am lining up my push bike now waiting to plough down all the people who run over cats. Better watch out people (vincent price laugh) I'm coming for you

Pleasejustgo Just out of interest where did I say I wanted to run people over?

Even though I'm a fairly hardened mner sometimes I still get shocked by peoples attitudes.

I get that some people dont like cats but I can't believe that people will happily drive over rabbits and pigeons, never mind cats. Of course, if its not safe to brake without risking an accident then you have to sadly squish them - human life comes above animal life - but to be so callous as to not to care about causing suffering to either the animal or the human owner.... well I think its very sad that people have such lack of empathy.

The post below the one asking where?

It was something about throwing people off bikes or something down those lines. Whatever it was it involved actual bodily harm. Well definitely gave the impression of impending bodily harm.

I can't copy and paste from my phone ether annoyingly. Anyone know how from an iPhone?

I find it equally odd that adults will mourn bits of roadkill. Things get run over, and when those things are left to roam the streets then why should I be throwing myself over backwards to avoid it when its fucking owner won't take the simplest steps to preserve it by keeping it in. Animals on the road are just hazards.

I bet you kill spiders dammitsue. I bet you do.

Dammit - of course you shouldn't put yourself at great personal risk but you sound as though you wouldn't even try to avoid a cat even if the road was completely empty! You seem to take great pleasure at the thought of killing or maiming an innocent animal. Regardless of whether you like cats or not, that is a very sick and twisted attitude.

I use the special 'extra suffer' insect spray.

I also bet you have a collection of flies wings!

Pleasejustgo If you read a bit further up you'll see that post wasn't mine. I was simply agreeing with the sentiment.