To not stop for a dead cat

[Myusername33]

I recently passed a very recently deceased cat at the side of a busy road when I was driving with my kids in the car, I didn’t stop because I wasn’t going to stop in a busy road and leave my kids sitting there while I picked up a dead cat. I later saw someone had put a post up about the dead cat on the local community fb page saying they had picked it up and taken it to the vet so the owner could be found but they were disappointed that not only had someone hit the cat and not stopped but also lots of people had driven past without stopping, the owner of the cat eventually appeared to say how devastated they were that someone had hit their beloved cat and not stopped.

Aibu to not stop and pick up someone else’s dead cat from the road? I actually think it pretty unreasonable to let your cat out to run around in the road and get annoyed at the person that hit it for not stopping, I’m sure they didn’t set out to run over the cat and it was an unavoidable accident. If I hit a cat I would stop if I could do it safely but my kids and my own safety would be a priority over someone else’s cat that shouldn’t have been on the road in the first place.

A cat will go wherever it likes. Besides we've already been told on here that people shouldn't allow cats in other people's gardens, now they aren't allowed roads either so where can they go?
I would stop if I'd actually hit the cat and take it to the vet. I couldn't not. I'd feel too guilty.
Since it was obvious the cat was dead and you had your children with you I don’t think YWBU to carry on. It wouldn't have made any difference to the outcome.
I'm not sure what I'd do if I just came across a dead cat. I'd like to think I'd stop but not sure I actually would.

For someone who has owned a cat I find it odd you refer to the owner as having "let" their cat run into the road. That's not how it works. And to be fair even if you stretch it to them allowing their cat to roam which may mean their cat running into roads, you dont know if this cat may have been a house cat who got out through no fault of the owner. I wouldnt stop if it was genuinely unsafe in a real non dramatic sense (alot of roads you can safely pull over on but motorway, for example, not so much). However I would call it in.

We live well back from a fairly busy road, but have had two cats run over and killed, and have found them not long afterwards.

TBH I wouldn’t have expected whoever ran them over to do anything. Unlike our dog, they didn’t have identity discs with a phone number on their collars. So what could anyone have done?

I was once right behind another driver who ran over a cat in a residential road. S/he couldn’t possibly have avoided it - it just ran right into the road, they way they do. I did stop - it wasn’t quite dead, but died only seconds later, and tried to find the owners. I then almost wished I hadn’t - it was a family with children, who of course were dreadfully upset.

You make the right decision for yourself at the time. You had small chunks often in the car and I think that’s a good enough reason to not put them at risk emotionally or physically. So forgive yourself.

*children

OP is goady AF but there are plenty of circumstances where it would be difficult to do much.

For instance, I wouldn't be able to transport an injured cat if I had dog in the car - he is a terrier and not even slightly cat friendly so it wouldn't be fair on the cat. If I was in a works vehicle I wouldn't be able to transport a live or dead one for hygiene / legal reasons.

I'd still try to find someone who could help though - ddog once found a dead cat in the park. I went on Facebook and found a group for local cat people. A lovely crazy cat lady woman came out with a microchip scanner to try and inform the owner, but unfortunately it wasn't chipped. She took the remains to a vet for disposal.

YANBU to not stop and pick up a dead cat with kids in the car, YABU to blame people for “letting” their cats run into the road.

@Newmumatlast

For someone who has owned a cat I find it odd you refer to the owner as having "let" their cat run into the road. That's not how it works. And to be fair even if you stretch it to them allowing their cat to roam which may mean their cat running into roads, you dont know if this cat may have been a house cat who got out through no fault of the owner. I wouldnt stop if it was genuinely unsafe in a real non dramatic sense (alot of roads you can safely pull over on but motorway, for example, not so much). However I would call it in.

If you choose to allow your cat to roam freely, then you choose to put it at risk of being run over.

As far as I'm aware there's no legal obligation to stop if you hit a cat, unlike if you hit a dog. Something about cats not being considered owned / property in law because they roam unsupervised I think(?) but I'm not sure.

Anyway, noone is unreasonable not to stop on a road if they can't do so safely.

YANBU to not have stop. I wouldn't have done in your situation.
YABU to blame the cat / owners. And of course the person the hit the cat should have stopped.

it is not your responsibility op, the person who was disappointed that no one picked up their cat is of course disappointed their cat died. we all have our own lives to lead

@MoppaSprings where I grew up cats can be injured by various things including poisonous snakes and groups of feral street cats. Plus pick up all sorts of diseases from the latter. All cats are kept indoors and none of them are the worse for wear.
The right to roam is dumb ... an animal doesn’t just ‘go where it likes’ if you close doors windows etc make your cat proof it’s not going to teleport.
In the U.K our cat is let to roam. She’s a farm cat and excellent mouser.
I still don’t think letting animals roam is a good idea but as that’s how it’s done here I’ve accepted the risk... if someone hit the cat etc I’m wholly prepared for that to happen...

I stopped at a busy junction with traffic lights once to pick up a (live!) stray dog (ds was in the car at the time) so yes, I'd stop to pick up a dead cat to take it to the nearest vet to see if it was microchipped. A little compassion goes a long way.

YANBU to not stop but your attitude to animals is disgusting.

It would never occur to me to stop if I saw a dead cat. I come from a culture where stray animals are the norm and sadly so is them getting run over so I guess I just have that outlook, and wouldn't even know (before seeing this thread) what to do with them.

So surprised at the number of people saying they would/have, usually when I'm in my car it's because I've got somewhere (usually work) to go and don't have the time to stop, pick up a (presumably) dead animal, place it properly in the car (I assume you have to wrap it as well if it's bloody?) and figure out where to take it then take it, all on the side of a road?

agree, if the cat is hit by a car it is accepted that they took their chance, some people keep their cats indoors as a matter of course.
people who allow their cats to roam take that chance.
i would not have a cat as i live on the side of a busy road.

I would absolutely stop and deal with things if I knew I had hit any animal.
Have stopped before for a rabbit which ran out under my car. I actually had to put it out if it’s misery - not sure how I did that but it was one of this situations where you just have to do something.
If I had young children in the car I would need to factor that in if I was a passerby car and whether the animal was large/farm animal (a call and wait for help situation)/or a pet during vet opening times etc.
Too many variables - but if I am responsible I will stop no matter what.

Was once driving to court when got involved in lost stray dog running on busy road incident. Because I had stopped so too then did others and between us we got him wrapped him in blanket and one of this who stopped was able to take over. All the time I was thinking ‘bloody hell what am I going to say to the judge if I am late?’ Luckily That judge has her own dog who is often in her rooms during the day and when court is empty save for lawyers/staff comes into court for some ball throwing fun. Instant stress reliever.

It's perfectly reasonable not to pick up someone else's dead cat from the road when you didn't cause the death. That part isn't even a question.

I was driving once when the car in front of me hit a cat. The cat started fitting and flipping around in the road making the most awful noise. The driver got out of the car, went to the side of the road where there was a loose fence post, picked it up and hit the cat until it stopped moving. It was horrific to watch. But it didn't cross my mind to stop and get out/cause more of a traffic build up etc. I don't think you did anything wrong OP. It's obviously not nice for the owners but also nothing to do with you, unless you instantly recognised the cat and knew who's it was.

Even as a cat owner I agreed with you until you spouted the “I thinks it’s unfair to let your cat run around” makes you sound like a nasty individual.
Stop trying to start fights on forums, it’s lame.

I wouldn't stop, no. Not my cat, not my problem.

We do not have a collective responsibility for other people's pets. Yes the owner would be upset by the death of their pet but expecting other people to go out of their way to pick up the body, drive around looking for a vet (I have no pets so have no clue where the vet is, or opening times) is ridiculous.

If you hit the thing in the street then you have more responsibility, but not as a bystander.

@MolyHolyGuacamole

It would never occur to me to stop if I saw a dead cat. I come from a culture where stray animals are the norm and sadly so is them getting run over so I guess I just have that outlook, and wouldn't even know (before seeing this thread) what to do with them.

So surprised at the number of people saying they would/have, usually when I'm in my car it's because I've got somewhere (usually work) to go and don't have the time to stop, pick up a (presumably) dead animal, place it properly in the car (I assume you have to wrap it as well if it's bloody?) and figure out where to take it then take it, all on the side of a road?

I think pet lovers who know how much somebody might be worried about their beloved pet will try to stop if safe to do so. Or at least post on social media. The owner will at least get closure. The ideal is to get them to a vet to be scanned. My work would be very supportive and understanding if I was late because of that but I guess not all would. I think it all boils down to your personal feelings about animals.