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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

646 replies

CoastalWave · 07/01/2022 13:43

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?

OP posts:
thewhatsit · 07/01/2022 14:51

And I have literally no idea where my nearest (or any!) vet is or whether you are supposed to take dead animals to them or not.

VodselForDinner · 07/01/2022 14:52

[quote Howshouldibehave]@VodselForDinner

I’m a vet lover (have two)

Grin[/quote]
Blush

WonderfulYou · 07/01/2022 14:53

I'd prefer not to be informed she was dead.

You wouldn’t want to know if your pet was dead!!

Jeez when my cat went missing I was out every day trying to find him.

I was gutted when I found out he’d got run over but I was just relieved I knew what happened to him and he wasn’t trapped somewhere suffering.

tigger1001 · 07/01/2022 14:53

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

My vet sounds a lot nicer than yours *@mam0918*!

Are you sure they didn't have to euthanise the cat @tigger1001? When my cat was PTS I obviously paid for the euthanasia but I wouldn't have been charged for disposal. I chose individual cremation so there was an extra charge for that.

Very sure. As it was found by the roadside and someone took it to the vets. Was dead. The vet charged them for scanning for the chip and contacting them as it was a Sunday morning and were called out to the surgery to deal with it.

Also know it's not the only time it's happened. To be fair the local vet has a reputation for being money grabbing but the person who was trying to be kind by taking the deceased cat to the vet so the owner could be traced wasn't to know that.

What generally happens locally is a fb post telling people where it is. There is also a cat sanctuary place fairly local who will scan for a chip too. But if you don't have cats it's possible you wouldn't know that locally.

WoodenLegs · 07/01/2022 14:53

Would you take a dead rat to the vet if you found it?

It is literally a dead animal. It should be eaten by local wildlife. At least then it is doing something to contribute to the eco-system.

SpookyScarySkeletons · 07/01/2022 14:53

Not always. I would try wherever possible but sometimes people genuinely just don't have time to do that. They may have a job where you are disciplined for coming in late, kids to drop off who get detentions for being late, an urgent appointment to get to.

You can't really judge without knowing individual circumstances.

JohnNutLips · 07/01/2022 14:53

I have moved cats from out of the road in the past (when it’s obvious that it’s only just happened) as I couldn’t bare the thought of cars driving over it 😢 and I’ve also taken bodies to the vets to be scanned for a chip. Saying that, I wouldn’t judge anyone who didn’t.

LolaButt · 07/01/2022 14:54

The best I could do I donate the hazard warning triangle in my boot to warn other road users, and a post on the local fb group.

worriedatthemoment · 07/01/2022 14:54

No not a dead one , injured yes
My niece found a dead car recently and it had a collar so she called the owners and went and waited for them and covered with a towel
But all the time round here people post about dead cats and putting them to the side of rd maybe covering them if possible
But there is not many times i would have time when out to pick up someone elses dead cat and or want to in all honesty

Sparklingbrook · 07/01/2022 14:54

@WonderfulYou

I'd prefer not to be informed she was dead.

You wouldn’t want to know if your pet was dead!!

Jeez when my cat went missing I was out every day trying to find him.

I was gutted when I found out he’d got run over but I was just relieved I knew what happened to him and he wasn’t trapped somewhere suffering.

Having worked for a cat rescue your reaction is the normal one.
tigger1001 · 07/01/2022 14:55

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

A friend of mine got a call from the vet as someone had handed their dead cat in and they were billed £100!

But that's not the same as being charged just to bring it in to be scanned Confused

If you have a cat that's taken to the vet, of course you're responsible for paying for any care it may need, whether you're the one who brought it in or not. The £100 was your friend was charged was probably the cost of euthanasia or cremation/disposal.

Nope! Was to scan the dead cat to locate the owner and call them. Was on a Sunday so that was their excuse.
worriedatthemoment · 07/01/2022 14:56

@CoastalWave dogs are legally reportable cats Are not
One roAms the other is not allowed

Drunkpanda · 07/01/2022 14:56

I did not know people chipped their cats. I think if you don't have a cat/dog you might easily not know that? Also judging by Facebook local posts there are zillions of cats going missing all the time. Much fewer dogs and they're not left to roam.

Sparklingbrook · 07/01/2022 14:56

If my dead cat got handed into a vets I would expect to be parting with money for whatever was required and to cover their costs.

Iamanicepersonreally · 07/01/2022 14:57

I would and have taken a dead cat to the vet. They scanned for a microchip and contacted the owner who sent me a lovely message to thank me for not simply leaving him in the road

I found one other dead cat who had a collar tag with her address. I went round and knocked on the door to let the owner know

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 07/01/2022 14:57

Nope! Was to scan the dead cat to locate the owner and call them. Was on a Sunday so that was their excuse.

Well, yes - most vets are closed on a Sunday so that would be a standard OOH charge.

OwMyToe · 07/01/2022 14:57

No, I wouldn't for a dog, either, even though I'm a dog-lover. For that matter, I wouldn't expect anyone to do it if it were my own dog. The only way that would happen would be if my dog somehow got loose and ran off, but with cats, as we're so often told on MN, they have the right to roam. Right to roam comes with risks, unfortunately, and I don't have time or inclination to deal with the aftermath.

Strokethefurrywall · 07/01/2022 14:58

Ahhh if ever there was an “I love cats more than everyone else” thread this is it.

Are you seriously painting everyone as a non-Cat lover because they wouldn’t take a dead cat to the vet? Cop on to yourself for fucks sake…

Animal virtue signaling, this is stepping it up something special!

StoneofDestiny · 07/01/2022 14:59

Ridiculous to assume people should take a dead cat to the vet! I'd not touch a live cat, never mind a dead one. Seriously - are we supposed to carry rubber gloves, shovels, plastic sheeting and know where a vet is?

Keep your cats inside if you don't want them killed by vehicles. I regularly see various wildlife squashed in the road - and don't even look long enough to check what type of creature it was.

tigger1001 · 07/01/2022 14:59

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

Nope! Was to scan the dead cat to locate the owner and call them. Was on a Sunday so that was their excuse.

Well, yes - most vets are closed on a Sunday so that would be a standard OOH charge.

But that's the point. Why would you take a clearly dead animal to the vet so the owner gets a lovely big charge? It wasn't the owner who had taken the cat.
EmmaH2022 · 07/01/2022 14:59

I absolutely adore cats
I don't know where the nearest vet is, nor what they would do

If I had nowhere I had to be, I would try to sort something out but I'm not sure what.

NichyNoo · 07/01/2022 14:59

What would a vet do if the cat is already dead? I don’t think I would even stop the car if I hit a cat/fox/squirrel/rat.

worriedatthemoment · 07/01/2022 14:59

Lots if cats aren't microchipped either it seems as often lost / dean injured cats posted on facebook and someone goes and scans and no chip
Most dogs are as legally you have to chip a dog , not same rule for a cat i don't believe

Sparklingbrook · 07/01/2022 15:00

Ahhh if ever there was an “I love cats more than everyone else” thread this is it

TBF there's enough posts where you could exchange 'love' for 'hate', there's competition on both sides. Grin

There's a cat poo in the garden thread started today if anyone wants to properly put the boot in though.

HarlanPepper · 07/01/2022 15:00

Our cat was hit and killed by a car, and left dead in the road. A passerby took her to the vet so she could be identified by her microchip. The vet then contacted us.

This person didn't leave their contact details, which is a shame because I really wanted to contact them to thank them for their kindness. I'm sure it is not 'the done thing' but the fact that a stranger cared enough to do this for her, and for us, made an awful time a bit more bearable.