Cats and roads

[AIMD]

There’s a post on a local Facebook group about a cat being run over on a main road. There are lots of comments from people about how cars drive too fast and people should stop to take the car to the vet/comfort them. Of course I agree with car drivers sticking to the speed limit and that people should help animals who are hurt. If I hit I cat I would obviously stop and try to find the owner or seek help.

However there is no mention on the thread about pet owners being more responsible and maybe choosing not to have a cat as a pet if they live in an area close to very busy roads. The road/area mentioned was very busy/city centre area, where it would be hard for a cat to go anywhere without going across very busy roads.

I wouldn’t comment that on the thread because the pet owner is obviously upset and it is not the right place for that comment.

AIBU to think cat owners/breeders are also responsible for cats being hurt On the roads when they buy/sell cats into homes that are surrounded by very busy roads?

There’s been an obvious increase in cats as pets in my area over the last 19 years (not sure if people notice that elsewhere too) and an increase in cats/traffic. It’s a recipe for cats being hurt.

@OneForMeToo

To those shouting at those who wouldn’t help the cat find its owner. Have you not seen the posts before where people have stated they would of punched the person who ran over their cat or scream and shout at them?

Very very rarely does someone deliberately run over a cat yet if someone try’s to do a good deed and door knock they are highly likely to in counter a very angry person after just having a traumatic event themselves. I wouldn’t risk it. Sometimes I wonder if those dead cat seen in C place are actually the people who hit the cat but too scared to say so.

If you want the same treatment as dogs when getting hit you need the same responsibility’s as dog owners in which case you could be sued for damages/trauma to the person/car who killed the animal running out in front of it.

^This

@LST

Jesus christ there are some vile human beings in the world. I feel sorry for any poor kids being raised by humans so lacking in emotion. Horrible.

I am stunned that anyone would do this, it’s quite unbelievable

@NailsNeedDoing "Personally, I wouldn’t stop even if I did feel it was a safe area and time of day, I’m not going to be late for work/collecting my child/appointments...
So if you hit a domestic animal, someone's pet, you would leave it dying in agony by the side of the road? You vile person.

So if you hit a domestic animal, someone's pet, you would leave it dying in agony by the side of the road? You vile person.

How can you use the word 'domestic', though, to describe an animal that is left to freely roam unaccompanied around the neighbourhood or further and go (and poo) where it likes without any responsibility taken by the owner? A dog left to roam without an owner in sight is liable to be assumed as a stray and rounded up by the dog warden, but for cats, that's basically what they do as standard.

You personally might have some kind of foolproof method of ensuring that you collect up every single bit of your cat's poo, as obviously, not doing so leaves a disgusting mess for all and carries the risk of toxoplasmosis and blindness in vulnerable humans - so clearly only a vile person would leave any of their cat's poo not instantly cleaned up - but the vast, vast majority of cat owners are not this caring or socially responsible. Imagine the virtually unanimous uproar amongst cat owners if they were legally required to clean up after their pets, as dog owners are.

You can't furiously defend an animal as a dearly loved and cared-for domestic pet when it suits you but claim it's a 'free spirit' (i.e. wild/feral animal) for which you can't possibly be expected to bear any reponsibility when that's more convenient. And if cat owners don't want to accept this responsibility- why should they expect non-cat owners to take more responsibility towards a stranger's cat than their owner does?

I find it quite unbelievable that anyone would leave an injured or dying animal in pain because they are annoyed about poo. I mean it’s seriously bloody worrying.
I have never hit an animal in thirty years of driving but I have scooped wild animals off the road that other heartless people have injured. That includes squirrels and foxes because they all feel pain.

I find it quite unbelievable that anyone would leave an injured or dying animal in pain because they are annoyed about poo. I mean it’s seriously bloody worrying.

I'm not saying that I would - I'm just making the point that cat owners have no right to be angry at others for not looking out for a stranger's pet when they themselves haven't done so. You wouldn't leave a toddler to roam freely and hope that random strangers would jump in and assist should they come to any harm; you wouldn't even do that with a dog, rabbit, hamster or any other kind of pet.

And, as always seems to happen, the question of nasty, toxic poo being left uncleaned up is dismissed as a minor, irrelevant issue - it isn't, it's filthy and a real hazard.

Also, how can you be sure that drivers were 'heartless' in injuring animals? It might have been in the middle of the night, it might have been a rough area or the middle of nowhere, there might have been nowhere safe to stop.

Do you think a woman driving on her own (or with young children) at night through a 'difficult' neighbourhood or the middle of nowhere should get out of her car to attend to an animal that darted under her wheels - even a wild animal that is most probably already dead - regardless of who else might be around or hiding behind a fence or bush? For all you know, would-be thieves or rapists could have deliberately left a dead animal there in the hope of a potential victim stopping to see to it.

Even discounting the threat of criminals/attackers, pulling up and getting out could leave you seriously in danger of other fast traffic hitting you.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll thank you for your response - I'm open to different opinions! I was probably a bit harsh in calling the PP "vile" - I just find it very heartless that someone could leave a pet dying in the road if they'd hit it.
I would call all pet cats domesticated (I know they are more feral than dogs, but they are still somebody's loved pet).
I try to be responsible with my cat - without sounding graphic I know she only poos in her litter tray or my garden (which I swiftly clean up). I cannot stand irresponsible pet owners. However I was not referring to cat toilet habits in my post - it was only regarding if they are hit by a car.
I get where you are coming from though and respect your opinion on the matter. I'll not go on as I wouldn't want to waffle!

Its on the owners to keep the cats safe, Im not going to cause a car accident suddenly braking or swerving to avoid hitting a cat. I wouldn't take one to the vet if hit either, I would call the owner and let them know if they had a collar and phone number but that's it. People don't tolerate wandering cats in Australia, so it's not such an issue here.

YANBU, if people live on or near busy roads, they should not have cats, unless they are able to make their garden secure to prevent the cats wandering. Many years ago we had cats, but the traffic on nearby roads has doubled since our last cat died, so I would never have another outdoor cat unless we moved to a much quieter area. Even then, I think I'd prefer to restrict it to using a large outdoor run, rather than worry about it getting into fights or wandering far enough to reach a busy road.

Also, I think cats can be content to be house cats, provided they have never been allowed to roam freely and have plenty of interaction, either with other cats or humans. A friend of mine has 2 housecats that are very content, and spoilt rotten. Also, they've never had fleas, or any diseases or injuries.

I'm a cat owner. I've always taken care to rent/buy a house away from a main road in order to accommodate them going out safely. Even before viewing a house we'd check the map in order to ensure it was a 'cat suitable location' first (I think some estate agents thought we were mad).

I have a cat but have deliberately chosen to live somewhere away from busy roads because of her. I moved a year ago and discounted any houses on busy roads. She never actually leaves the garden anyway though!
I could never imagine keeping a cat indoors permanently. Never allowing her to explore the smells, sunbathe on the grass or enjoy the fresh air seems cruel to me, no matter how many toys they have inside. Imagine having a dog and never letting it outside!

I live in US and don't know any cat owners who allow their cats outside (because of coyotes, foxes and traffic) and am always baffled by this weird UK idea which I see sometimes on MN that cats simply can't be kept indoors, that it's totally impossible or cruel or whatever. They're domesticated pets, they adjust, it's totally fine - how do these people think cats are kept as pets in places like Tokyo, for example? Our cats are only allowed out into our back yard with supervision. I agree with you, OP.

I have two cats, one I’ve had since 5 weeks when I found her in a rubbish pile, she’s now 10, the other is 14-15 and came to me when she was left by her previous owner aged 9. They both live indoors. If we lived rurally I would love to let them out but I would never forgive myself if anything happened to them. The older one did get out of the kitchen window once but she was back within half an hour crying to get in the back door. I’d like to look at car proofing the garden as an option as I do feel guilty about them being stuck inside. They’re both very healthy cats but still.

We live on a very quiet road and, when the lady from the rspca did her checks prior to us adopting our cats, she said that was one of the key criteria. Unfortunately, a neighbour's cat was still killed by an idiot driver going too fast but thankfully it's rare.

When we were house hunting, we didn't look at any houses on main roads, one of the main reasons was that we are cat lovers and wouldn't want to put them at unnecessary risk. I would never want to stop a cat going outside. Ours have a cat flap so come & go as they please but are in more than out as they are very lazy creatures

Unfortunately, a neighbour's cat was still killed by an idiot driver going too fast

And you witnessed this, whilst using a speed gun right?

[quote JalapenoDave]@NailsNeedDoing "Personally, I wouldn’t stop even if I did feel it was a safe area and time of day, I’m not going to be late for work/collecting my child/appointments...
So if you hit a domestic animal, someone's pet, you would leave it dying in agony by the side of the road? You vile person.[/quote]
Someone’s pet shouldn’t be out on the road with the ability to cause road accidents. It’s understandable that it will happen occasionally with wild animals, but pets have human owners who should be protecting their pets and making sure they don’t inconvenience others. If a cat dies on the side of a road in pain after being hit, that’s it’s owners fault, not the fault of a stranger who just happens to be driving along when a cat decides to run in front of it.

@nailsneeddoing Can I just take a second to apologise for calling you vile - that was vile of me to say! I was a bit angry when I read your post as I am quite defensive about animals. Thank you for being reasonable and not being aggressive with your response.
I completely understand where you are coming from and seeing it from your perspective I do agree with you. I live on a cul de sac away from a main road - if I lived near a main road no way would I have got a cat.

I'm a huge cat lover and wouldn't own a cat if I lived right on top of a hugely busy road. I live near a big road but I'm about 10 gardens away and the road outside my house is quiet so I've deemed this safe. I dislike cats being kept indoors as they really are miserable and try at every opportunity to get out. I'd rather not have a cat if I lived in a very very busy road

I do agree with you OP.

I’m lucky that I’ve only ever seen my cans venture over the road once or twice. Our street is a residential street but unfortunately we have the odd arsehole who flies down it.

We are looking to move and absolutely will rule out houses I feel are on roads too busy for my little furrballs to contend with.

@06Elai1978 poor neighbour did unfortunately. We don't get much traffic and most cars drive slowly. If someone drives too fast it's very obvious, enough to make you look out of the window.

@snitzelvoncrumb

Its on the owners to keep the cats safe, Im not going to cause a car accident suddenly braking or swerving to avoid hitting a cat. I wouldn't take one to the vet if hit either, I would call the owner and let them know if they had a collar and phone number but that's it. People don't tolerate wandering cats in Australia, so it's not such an issue here.

yup. this. feral cats are a huge problem where we live. they grow to the size of a bloody fox (there are some interesting videos on youtube - they look like panthers!). they are incredibly destructive. the right to roam argument is being curbed by local govt here in Aus with more and more councils making people register and keep cats indoors. when learning to drive we had it drilled into us that you never swerve for an animal (ie, bird, cat or kangaroo) as youre more likely to drive head on into a tree (and not walk away). its grim but its on the owners to keep them safe. lots of people have these great outdoor cat aviary things with walkways that seem to keep them safe.

How can you use the word 'domestic', though, to describe an animal that is left to freely roam unaccompanied around the neighbourhood or further and go (and poo) where it likes without any responsibility taken by the owner?

Could not agree more with this. Nobody goes out to kill cats but if you live close to a road this is surely bound to happen to a few people?
I don’t know what I would do if I was going somewhere and hit a cat. I think if it was dead, I would probably leave it in peace, but if it was alive and in potentially in pain, thinking about it now, I would probably call a vet and ask them to collect it if they wished to.
I don’t think I’d be putting it in my car and driving around to find a vet, nor would I be googling feline CPR. I don’t think that makes you a bad person, you havnt set out to cause harm to a cat and I really doubt anyone would care so much if they hit a fox or a pigeon. I understand that a cat is someone’s pet, but if it meant that much to it’s owner would they let it play in the road?

I agree with you OP. I would be a nervous wreck if I owned a cat and lived near a busy road. It’s selfish to do so for the cat and for road users who have the upset of hurting one and who could possibly have an accident trying to swerve out of the way of one.

I think it's cruel to keep cats indoors. We have a bell on ours which makes it hard for him to catch wildlife. We lived in one semi rural place with no busy roads so he was an outdoor cat and then moved to a cottage with an acre of land and very rural but with an A road going by us. We worried about doing it and whether the cat would be ok but he was 11 at this point, we hoped he would choose all of the safe land around him not the road. BUT we were not prepared to forego our dream home because of the cat and it would have been cruel to keep him in after 11 years of freedom. He cries at the backdoors. My point is it's not always a black and white choice.