To think cat owners are unreasonable for insisting that drivers MUST stop if they hit a cat?

[OtterlyMad]

Some of the people on my town’s Facebook page lose their minds when a cat is killed by a car. It’s automatically blamed on speeding (despite there being no evidence of this) and there are always lots of comments along the lines of how “disgusting” it is that the driver didn’t stop and make the owner aware.

None of them seem to appreciate that the driver might not have time to track down the owner. For example, perhaps they are on their way to work, a job interview, wedding, funeral, court, airport, hospital, dentist, client meeting, school pick up, etc. Plus cats can wander quite far and don’t all wear collars so tracking down the owner could be a real challenge - even more so if driver isn’t local to the area!

Obviously it’s devastating for people to lose their pet in this way (I’m an animal lover and have owned pets all my life so I get it) but surely this is a known risk of allowing cats to roam freely? And owners accept that risk because they feel it gives their cat a better quality of life, even if that means their life is shorter as a result?

My locals are now campaigning to make it law that drivers who hit a cat must not only stop and find the owner, but also HAND OVER THEIR CONTACT DETAILS. To do what with?! So the cat’s owner can give the driver grief and/or demand compensation they’re not entitled to???

Am I the only one thinking this is ludicrous?

You are being unreasonable - drivers should be required to stop, track down the owner of the cat and hand over their contact details.

You are not being unreasonable - injury/death by vehicle is a sad but accepted risk of cats having the right to roam so drivers should not be required to stop.

I haven't hit a cat before, but I have hit a wild rabbit. I stopped but it was very clearly dead.
I have a cat now and we're trying to decide if we'll let him out. I think it'll improve his life a lot being allowed out but I also worry about losing him.

At the very least I would hope that if someone did hit a cat, they would make a post on social media for the area they're in with some details. Colour of cat and location. Then at least someone can get it to a nearby vet. Round here this is what people do, even if they can't stop to do it themselves.

I said outweighs the death of an ANIMAL not cat.

It depends on whether:

• you are a petty, raging sociopath

• you are a decent human being who is distressed by the fact that they have just killed or injured an animal ,which will also mean a person has just lost their beloved pet. Someone who also can grasp that the animal ,if it is injured, could be saved by a quick vet intervention if picked up and brought to the nearest surgery.

I know what person I want to be.

Frankly anyone who does not stop in this circumstance is a vile piece of human scum as far as I am concerned.

They don't need the stimulation from being outside, actually. There are places where it v is illegal for cats to go outside, and they manage just fine. It just takes a bit more work from the owners.

you are a petty, raging sociopath

vile piece of human scum as far as I am concerned.

er

@TwelveAngryWhiskers

If it’s injured you take it to a vet!

Not necessarily. I may just be passing through or have nervous passengers or nowhere to put an injured cat. If the owners want to be notified they put a collar on it, otherwise I assume they are prepared to take the risk.

I would phone somewhere for help but not take it to a vet with nothing to put it in. No idea where there are vets near here, let alone their opening hours.

You can see from prior comments that it’s not that simple. Depending on the road and circumstances, it simply may not be safe to do so.

the vile human scum are the ones who allow a “much loved” “family member” to roam the streets without supervision, knowing there are myriad dangers out there, along with people who would actually harm animals on purpose, not just those who harm them accidentally.

The onus needs to sit with the person responsible, not the poor sod that ends up running them over.

I absolutely love cats and I have had the heartbreak of cat-gone-missing-presumed-squashed or cat-found / reported-squashed. I think it's wonderful when the driver or another passer-by stops and lets the cat owner know, but I feel no anger or annoyance when they don't. There are a myriad of reasons why.

I would try to report a cat I hit. But like OP says, I wouldn't miss a flight for it or risk turning up late to a job interview. I could also imagine a scenario late at night (in total darkness) or on a very busy road where I might feel a thud and be unsure what I hit but know it's not safe to go back and find out.

It sometimes feels like the world has gone very "black and white" thinking so many people have their knickers in a twist about every perceived slight. I'm with you, OP.

If I hit any animal, I would stop and either take it to a vet or put it on a grass verge. It doesn’t matter what the law states, it comes down to morals. I think you’d have to be a pretty uncaring person to carry on driving after hitting an animal (unless unsafe to do so!) It could also mean life or death for that animal. I took a pigeon to the vet that was loitering around a path injured, presumably clipped by a car, took it to the vets, they confirmed it had multiple injuries and euthanised the poor bird humanely.

I've actually never hit anything thank god, but I have checked out various animals bodies on the road. Report the large animals to the council, knocked on people's door for pets, or posted to the local FB and nextdoor page.

We have rescued and relocated injured hedgehogs down to the local sanctuary, and have rehabilitated various birds.

I think (hope) most people would help an injured (not dead) animal, including cats and other free roamers. I honestly don't understand why you wouldn't.

I have only even hit an animal once... and it was a seagull, and I was on a motorcycle. Not sure how I was meant get it to a vet!

Yeah…cat…person….same thing.

Also even if i hit a cat and took it to a vet, doesn’t mean i need to give anyone my details.

So after you’d pointlessly called the RSPCA, if you even managed to get through to them because the last time I called I was on hold for an hour, you would leave an injured cat to suffer horrendously on the side of the road, also leaving it vulnerable to being hit again? Because you were just passing through? Or had a ‘nervous passenger’, whatever that means? Or because you don’t know where a vet is, even though you can easily type ‘vet’ into Google maps?

WTAF am I reading. This is one of the most depressing threads I’ve ever read.

You would honestly prioritise a flight or an interview over potentially saving a life? I'll never understand that kind of thinking.

Cats travel miles and miles. Of course I would look for / help an injured animal, but if the cat is dead and isn't wearing a collar, I don't think I'd be knocking on doors for a cat that might live five miles away!

Flip it around, your kid was walking to school, didn’t look when crossing and got hit by the car and the driver drove off, would you still be “vile human scum” for allowing your child to roam?
I’ve seen plenty of reckless road crossing and near misses involving kids.
Regardless of whether people allow their cats to roam, I’m sure many know the risks, it’s basic decency to stop and provide help and care to an injured animal or human, caring doesn’t stop at humans.

Who is paying for the vet?

If you’ve injured it, I don’t how you can just drive off without a backward glance. Like a previous poster, I have taken injured / sick wildlife i’ve found to local rescues or the vets. I’m not expecting a pat on the back, to me that’s just normal behaviour we should all be doing. I just can’t comprehend how anyone could just leave something to potentially suffer.

I could also imagine a scenario late at night (in total darkness) or on a very busy road where I might feel a thud and be unsure what I hit but know it's not safe to go back and find out.

Err, I’m not sure you should be driving.

Vets don’t charge people for bringing in injured animals in need of emergency treatment that don’t belong to them.

Is that a nationwide official policy? Please share a link if that's the case.

Yes they do need that stimulation actually. And it is not illegal to let a cat outside anywhere in the UK, where cats have been domesticated for centuries, and have long performed a useful function in households, namely pest control, as well as providing companionship.

places where it’s not as common to let a cat outside include the USA. Mainly because the native wildlife in most parts of that country are a lot more dangerous to cats than the native wildlife of the UK, where foxes are the main hazard. It used to be common for American cat owners to get their cats declawed to prevent a bored indoor cat from damaging the house and the owner, which is illegal in the UK. So referencing how “other places” manage their cats isn’t really applicable to the this conversation.

Jesus, here we go 😂

A child, who has been educated to a standard to be able to be out unsupervised is different to an animal, a domestic pet, which is UNABLE to be taught such things and is OWNED by a human being, who is completely responsible for its safety for its entire life.

As in previous post - it is not always reasonable to stop depending on the safety of the situation and the batshittery of the owner who then may come for blood despite being 100% responsible for the incident.

How am I meant to get a thrashing seagull to a vet... on a bike?

As the owner of an outdoor cat I hope that if in the event anybody runs her over they make an effort where possible to tell someone if she is already dead or take her to a vets if she is injured.

It isn't always possible though due to time pressures/kids in the car/not being safe to stop somewhere and get out to find the cat especially on a busy road.

I wouldn't be putting myself in any danger if I ran an animal over so would only stop if I had the time and it was safe.