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.

You wanna be overrun by mice and rats then?

I'll happily take my chances, if it means a cat turd free garden for my kids.

Stop with the nonsense your cats are always bringing half dead animals home .The amount of times we've seen on here cats bringing them home .
Keep your cats to yourself ,stop making them someone else's problem . Their your animals .
Take responsibility for something you claim to own .

If a cat is "making your life a misery", you have bigger problems than the cat!

I do own them, and I do take responsibility. As I said upthread, my cats are fully indoors. So drop the attitude and pick on someone else. I am a little torn because I know they would probably enjoy being out but they're three very contented and spoilt overlords!! And it's "they're my animals".

Nobody bringing anything half dead home here! Tell me you're a cat hater without telling me you're a cat hater!!

Just out of interest, what would be wrong with being a cat hater?

Why should those people that dislike cats be subjected to them?

I think you’d be surprised just how much impact this can have. Particularly for those who rehab wildlife, or have birds or other small pets of their own. It’s not really for you to tell others what is important to them in life.

I just don't like that every other cat owner thinks everyone is responsible for their cats . We're not , society has enough problems without people demanding we should take responsibility for them too we have got enough problems . You're cat is your business , don't lay that on me .

I think it's a bit pathetic to "hate" anything.

It's for me to express my opinion as I wish.

There are other threats than cats, so those people have to protect them.

Got two dogs that have been better pest control than the 5 cats I grew up with and the two I've had myself, swift dispatch and trained to drop anything I don't want them to have. Bloody cats used to bring half dead stuff in and let it go, if they could be arsed in the first place 🤷🏼‍♀️.

One dog would chase and probably kill a cat if she got the opportunity - so she doesn't get the opportunity and the other grew up with a cat that ruled the roost so she tends to be wary tbh!

Got nothing against cats but I've lived with them and also been around farms all my life and it's always been the small breed 'ratter' dogs, or Spaniels that were keeping the vermin under control and not the farm cats - they spent their lives bossing the horses and dogs about and lazing on the straw and playing with the odd cat, mouse or bird now and again.

I don't think we'd be over run with rats & mice if cats stayed inside, and I'm not sure they are as prolific as some people claim in decimating other wildlife if my experience is anything to go by!

Express away, but don’t expect not to be challenged for being narrow minded about it. I’m sure if you had a cherished animal killed by your neighbour you’d be upset and angry about it too. It’s not at all unreasonable to feel that way.

No matter what dangers are out there, no one should have to endure another persons pet entering onto or into their property and causing death or damage. It cannot be justified.

Also, if these people who are keeping their animals within the boundaries of their own property are not considered by you to be keeping them “safe”, then surely you cannot approve of those allowing their animals to roam around in constant danger? Sounds hypocritical.

Don't be pedantic. Maybe they are not making someone's entire life a misery but they do cause misery with the destruction and damage they do.
The question raised a valid point. Why do cat owners not care about the harm their cats inflict and think thd cats happiness is more important? And why do they not create an enriching environment on their own property to fulfill their pets needs instead of making it everyone else's problem?

How so? When I used to have cats that were outdoors, I always kept them in overnight. My cats have mostly been indoors for the last 30 years. The only ones that got access to outdoors were the two strays I took in and the one whose bastard owners moved and left him behind.

I'm a little torn. Cats do enjoy the outdoors. I'm just not prepared to take the risk with mine. I'd have got a catio if they had wanted to go out.

Still I can't see how much harm a cat is doing anyone - killings excepted and I don't know how the cats accessed their victims. That must be horrible. All the neighbours' cats come to my garden. They don't generally shit everywhere. The one problem is that one of them is an expert bird killer, so I do chase him. He knows now when I appear that he needs to leg it. I like seeing them other than that.

I don't know. You would need to ask someone who doesn't have their cats indoors. I'm not that person. There's always been lots of cats around me and none of them has ever caused me any "misery".

I don't think any "other cat owner thinks everyone is responsible for their cats". I would just like to think that, out of common decency, you would at least check whether the cat you hit (most likely not your fault) was alive or dead?

How is making you responsible for anyone's cat?

And I have been in the position of having a pet killed by a cat, years back. This cat was the most aggressive cat I have ever encountered by a long, long way. He was feral, not neutered. It was a 6 month old kitten and she was asleep in her box in the garage, but the door was open. He literally went for her by the throat - I caught him in the act, but it was too late.

I’m pleased to hear you converted to indoor cats. For everyone’s sake.

They do a huge amount of harm. Most of that harm is unseen by owners other than the odd “victim” they bring home (particularly obnoxious are the owners who find this “funny” and joke or laugh about “gifts”.) Not only are there the animals directly killed, but some of those birds will be parents, meaning a whole nest of dead babies. There’s a lot of information out there on the various species that have been seen off by house cats. It’s very sad, and completely preventable.

Same for people’s pets. Your pet shouldn’t be a danger to anyone else’s. It just shouldn’t. I’m sure I don’t need to use a dog coming onto your property and savaging your cats to make this example clear. Cats are not more important than someone’s pet birds, rabbits, rodents or anything else, including wildlife. Cats are also persistent, and do often manage to get into aviaries or coops. They’re a constant nightmare once they know someone keeps birds in an aviary and cause stress to the birds.

As for the shit…. I’m afraid you’re mistaken on that as well. I have video footage of a neighbours cat coming into my back garden and dropping a log on a paved area during the night. That was a matter of weeks ago. I can no longer have a flower bed at the front and will be getting rid of it because I’m so sick and tired of the stench of other people pet shit. I’m done with digging to plant in my garden, only to uncover piles of maggot ridden shit, which would then become a fly infestation. I’ve had shit walked into my hall carpet after one crapped on my drive. It is constant.

Honestly, the amount of suffering - be that death, mutilation, or just constant stress to neighbours is incredibly unfair.

I chose not to have pets because I didn’t want the responsibility, yet I find myself upset, angry and frustrated having to pick up after someone else who is too lazy to do so.

If you think about other peoples lives they've got things that must be done , medical appointments to attend that can't be missed, you need to take care of your own animal, like another poster said , enrichment at home .
You all need to take care of your own animals and calling other people 'scum' because they don't maybe have time to care for your animal .You let it out .

I think the focus gets very easily misplaced.

If you had a diamond ring and you left it in the street, where it was then stolen, your insurance would t pay out as you’ve been negligent. It doesn’t matter that the person who took it was dishonest and a thief.

If you have a cat and allow it in the road, and it gets hit by a car, it’s your fault as you’ve been negligent. It doesn’t matter if the driver hates cats and did it on purpose, it’s still your fault.

I didn't "convert". I grew up rurally and had several cats killed on the roads. I vowed when I had my own house and got cats, they would be indoors. That was 30 years ago. My vet said I would regret it. I didn't. People didn't keep their cats indoors that much then.

That may be your experience with the shit - it's not mine. I have 7/8 cats visiting my garden daily and they actually don't shit that much at all! I also have flowers and shrubs in beds, as well as pots, and I've never had any problem

I've also got 30 years' experience of cats shitting in litter trays (and from before that actually, I always kept my cats in at night) and I haven't ever seen any that significant that it would cause a problem!

My biggest shitting problem is birds - we've feeding stations in the garden and they bloody crap everywhere, ungrateful wretches! I do love watching them though and hate when one gets killed. But magpies, crows, sparrowhawks and other birds of prey kill them too.

@IncompleteSenten 🙏🏻

That…. is converting…. 🫤 you changed from one viewpoint to another after seeing that you weren’t keeping your cats safe.

If you haven’t noticed a shit problem, that’s great. But most cats will shit in people’s gardens and many of those people will notice and, understandably, not appreciate it.

This is my experience with the shit too. I've had it trodden into my house more than once 😷

I didn't see it as being that dramatic. My previous cats were at my childhood/young adult home, and my parents wouldn't have let them be kept indoors. It really wasn't my decision to make!

If a car hits an animal, the very least that should happen is that the vehicle stops, help is summoned if the animal is injured, and they are not left on the road be they alive or dead. I think the police should also be called.

I am not convinced that all such instances of a car hitting an animal are unavoidable.