Page 26 | To think you take a killed cat to the vets, not dump it on a grass verge

CoastalWave · 2022-01-07T13:43:37+00:00

Post on FB says 'Found' a dead cat in the middle of the road. Couldn't do anything other than move it to the side as I was busy. " Posted the FB update five hours after doing this. Cat had been moved about 4m from the road so quite a distance and was hidden from site (not quite sure even how they'd moved him the state he was in) Poor thing was in a really bad way. I had to put my big girl pants on and take a lot of deep breaths before I dealt with him. I took clean towels and gave him a dignified trip to the vets. No, I don't like picking up dead cats - particularly after losing one myself to an RTA. But AIBU to think that if you've got time to shift the cat, you've got time to take it to the vets to be scanned?? Or did they move it because they were the ones who killed it?! Would you stop to take a deceased cat to the vets?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 08/01/2022 10:12

@Porcupineintherough

Oh of course theyll know what's happened to it if it fails to show up *@PinkSparklyPussyCat*. It doesnt take much imagination or guesswork, does it?

You clearly don’t have much imagination if you can only think the cat was run over!

Porcupineintherough · 08/01/2022 10:36

You clearly have too much if you are coming up with all sorts of elaborate fantasies for why your cat hasn't been seen for a week if it disappears. But if people want to feel better by hoping its gone to live with a new family or worse by worrying it's been kidnapped for dog fighting that's their choice. It's far more likely to have been hit by a car.

@Sparklingbrook I'd assume any owner who cares would have done the "have you seen this cat, please check your outbuildings " thing on Facebook early on. I'm talking about what you conclude if they dont show up again.

User112 · 08/01/2022 10:39

You put your big girls pants on ! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ How preachy ! I’m guessing you don’t have to work for a living, have kids to drop off, have elderly to care for. So you just put those pants on and preach to the rest of the world!

The cats ALREADY DEAD! Put your big girls pants on and go volunteer at a shelter.

Sparklingbrook · 08/01/2022 10:41

@Sparklingbrook I'd assume any owner who cares would have done the "have you seen this cat, please check your outbuildings " thing on Facebook early on. I'm talking about what you conclude if they dont show up again.

Yes you would do that after a day or two that’s right. But not immediately in case they wander back in after 24 hours as is common.

Rainbowshit · 08/01/2022 10:56

I'm a massive cat lover and would not take a dead cat to the vets unless I'd hit it with my car.

chaosrabbitland · 08/01/2022 13:40

@User112

You put your big girls pants on ! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ How preachy ! I’m guessing you don’t have to work for a living, have kids to drop off, have elderly to care for. So you just put those pants on and preach to the rest of the world!

The cats ALREADY DEAD! Put your big girls pants on and go volunteer at a shelter.

actually i do work for a living , have a child to drop off and yes id still put my pants on and move a deceased cat to the vets , thankfully my daughter shares my love of animals and i doubt we would be going anywhere if we saw a dead cat as shed not be wanting it left there ,

basically what your saying is oh its only a dead cat fuck it , but i bet you and others would suddenly forget all your pressing engagments if some other thing that you deemed important came up
and in case you havent been reading the thread , the point of taking a dead cat to the vets is not to partake in a candlelit funeral for it , but so the vets can scan for a microchip and if present inform the worried owners so they know whats happened , its a form of niceness and consideration ,

WheekestLink · 08/01/2022 14:21

No I wouldn't take it to the vets. It's dead. I love animals and have several but they are living animals. I don't care for dead ones and I would not expect anyone to cart my dead animals carcass around.

only11monthstillxmas · 08/01/2022 14:35

Gosh how rude judgey and assuming are you OP

Some of us absolutely love cats but would not take a dead cat to the vet

We don't have to justify the reasons to you
But here goes

Would I have something suitable to wrap it in?
Is the vet local ?
Am I free ?
Would the owner prefer to have the animal nearby for a home burial so a comment on a local fb or lost page be more beneficial?

BaconBaker · 08/01/2022 15:13

Animal lover here. I would definitely have taken the cat to the vets.

Original poster

CoastalWave · 08/01/2022 18:13

@User112

You put your big girls pants on ! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ How preachy ! I’m guessing you don’t have to work for a living, have kids to drop off, have elderly to care for. So you just put those pants on and preach to the rest of the world!

The cats ALREADY DEAD! Put your big girls pants on and go volunteer at a shelter.

I do work for a living. I also have 2 kids. Furthermore I actually do have elderly parents to care for.

I just managed to find the 15 mins necessary to give the animal some dignity. It's also managed to give the owners some closure.

15 minutes. Nothing needed apart from an old towel, a pair of gloves and the 5 min drive to the local vet.

For those who have asked, our local vets are more than happy to receive RTA cats.

No, it's not the same as a badger or a fox being run over. I can't recall the time when badgers had collars on and cuddled up to their owners on the couch.

OP posts:

Original poster

CoastalWave · 08/01/2022 18:14

@only11monthstillxmas

Gosh how rude judgey and assuming are you OP

Some of us absolutely love cats but would not take a dead cat to the vet

We don't have to justify the reasons to you
But here goes

Would I have something suitable to wrap it in?
Is the vet local ?
Am I free ?
Would the owner prefer to have the animal nearby for a home burial so a comment on a local fb or lost page be more beneficial?

If YOU were the owner would you prefer to receive a call from the vets and be able to view your beloved cat to confirm?

Or would you rather find it 2 weeks later resembling roadkill?

Yes, it was free.

No the vet didn't mind.

The owner can now take it home to be buried, have it cremated for free with other animals or pay £100 to have a private cremation.

OP posts:

Original poster

CoastalWave · 08/01/2022 18:16

@User2638483

Genuine question, does the vet want you to bring dead cats to them? I assume it’s so they can scan the micro chip? But do they mind?

Vets are absolutely great about it. More than happy to help. Help quite frequently (sadly)

No they don't mind.

They like helping to reunite them with their owners/ Generally one would presume vets are animal lovers!

OP posts:

Meadowbreeze · 08/01/2022 18:25

I must admit the only time I did find a dead cat I was absolutely traumatised and called the council. I don't think I could make it to the vet with how much I was crying and one definitely wasn't open as it was very late. No idea how I'd transport it from the middle of London with no car or gloves/bag.
I can see why you'd do it if you have a car/know that this is even a possibility, which I didn't. I think it would be helpful for the owners worrying about it.

I don't really agree with your tone in this though. I really don't think many people realise this is even possible to do so maybe rephrasing this would've got you a better response.

Snugglepumpkin · 08/01/2022 18:59

Why is it anyone elses problem to consider the feelings of a total stranger who has a dead cat?

Why should they take time out of their day for a completely avoidable occurrence?

Why should they have to touch dead things & clean up your messes that are nothing to do with them just so some random cat owner who will never do anything for them can feel better about themselves?

None of this helps the cat, none of it is about the cat.
The cat is dead & nothing will help it at all.

It's all about pandering to the owner who feels they deserve special treatment because they owned an animal.

XenoBitch · 08/01/2022 19:06

@Meadowbreeze

I must admit the only time I did find a dead cat I was absolutely traumatised and called the council. I don't think I could make it to the vet with how much I was crying and one definitely wasn't open as it was very late. No idea how I'd transport it from the middle of London with no car or gloves/bag. I can see why you'd do it if you have a car/know that this is even a possibility, which I didn't. I think it would be helpful for the owners worrying about it.

I don't really agree with your tone in this though. I really don't think many people realise this is even possible to do so maybe rephrasing this would've got you a better response.

I am the same. A cat was killed right outside my house, and I could not bear to go outside to look at it. Luckily, a neighbour recognised it, and took it round the corner to the owners house.

If I see what appears to be a dead pet, I would post about it on FB.

Atla · 08/01/2022 19:06

I would take an injured animal to the vet. I would move a dead one to the side of the road where presumably it's owner can find it. It wouldn't have crossed my mind to take a dead animal to the vet, perhaps if I had killed it?

Meadowbreeze · 08/01/2022 19:10

@Snugglepumpkin A very non British way of looking at animals hahaha I kinda of agree though. I think it is a kind thing to do if you have the time/want to do it, but it should by no means be expected.

I do often wonder where has the British obsession with animals come from. There must be something in history where there was a significant shift from animal to pet. Was it the Victorians? The same sympathies are certainly not extended on such a grand scale to migrants who tragically die.

tigger1001 · 08/01/2022 20:03

"just managed to find the 15 mins necessary to give the animal some dignity. It's also managed to give the owners some closure.

15 minutes. Nothing needed apart from an old towel, a pair of gloves and the 5 min drive to the local vet. "

It took you 15 minutes. Is it so inconceivable that it would take others in different areas much longer? Not everyone stays that close to a vet. And even if you do, if it's out of hours then you have to wait.

Not everyone can take the time out to do that. Not all employers would consider that an acceptable reason to be late for example.

chaosrabbitland · 08/01/2022 20:04

@Snugglepumpkin

Why is it anyone elses problem to consider the feelings of a total stranger who has a dead cat?

Why should they take time out of their day for a completely avoidable occurrence?

Why should they have to touch dead things & clean up your messes that are nothing to do with them just so some random cat owner who will never do anything for them can feel better about themselves?

None of this helps the cat, none of it is about the cat.
The cat is dead & nothing will help it at all.

It's all about pandering to the owner who feels they deserve special treatment because they owned an animal.

hmm id like to know how a cat crossing a road is an unaoidable occurance , last i knew they arent exactly able to understand us telling them do not ever cross a road and no one has said its someone elses problem , its just the nice and decent thing to do , ie considering the cat may have very worried owners who very much like to know whats happened to their fur baby

last i knew being kind and considerate didnt come with caveats attached , if i find someones mobile phone , or purse and contact them i dont fucking expect them to do something back for me !!

id hate to be that monetary tosser who expects people to do something for me as you put it because i have done something for them

and as a cat owner myself no i dont expect special treatment bacause i own an animal , do you always talk out of your arse like this
what i would be is ever ever so grateful to the kind soul that if something happened to either of my cats that they had made the effort to let me know via the vets

StoneofDestiny · 08/01/2022 20:34

Your average motorist does not carry rubber gloves, plastic sheeting, towels or shovels in their car. People driving somewhere are usually - driving somewhere for a reason and with a time schedule. Most roads have multiple cars on them and it wouldn't be safe to suddenly break if they saw a dead creature, let alone be able to identify if the dead creature was a cat, badger, rabbit, fox, bird or whatever. Driving along a major A road or motorway looking for creature corpses to stop for .....really?

It has to be the responsibility of cat owners to confine their cats for safety, or accept there is a likelihood they are going to get killed on the road and fit some tracking tag to them to locate them whatever their fate.

Certainly, every day there are cat owners beseeching everybody to check sheds, garages and outhouses for their cats. It's so regular yet nobody seems to be changing their animal care!

ColinKnocksTwoPence · 09/01/2022 21:31

Presuming it was a recent death then yes I would take a dead cat to the vets and have done before now.
A few years ago I saw one on the verge as I was driving DD to a dance lesson. On the way home the cat was still there and warm so I put it in a shopping bag and drove it to the nearest vets so it could be scanned for a chip.
If the cat had been cold and rotting I would have called the council to sort out, same as we do with dead badgers, foxes, deer etc.