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.

It was used disparagingly, and well you know it.

It wasn't, and you overestimate your ability to tell.

But we can use the word group, if you'll find that less triggering. Some members of the relevant group don't help themselves.

Well that statement just about sums you up.

Honestly - and I am a huge cat lover - I wouldn't expect someone to be knocking on doors, for a start you have no idea how far the cat has wandered. If possible, and if safe, I would hope someone would stop, these days it's so easy to post on your local Facebook group or Next Door to say what's happened. For us, locally there is at least one person who will go see if there is a chip or take the body to the local vet.

As a child, we lost one cat to a car and another cat disappeared and we suspect he was hit by a car but we don't know that, he could have moved in with someone else - after all he just moved in with us. Both cats were a long time before social media existed.

As for it being a high risk - the greatest risk is for cats under three years, iirc. And males are at greater risk than females. Both cats we lost were young and male. Of our other cats, 5 lived to their late teens, one died of cancer at 7, and the other was a 14ish year old rescue with multiple health problems including tumours.

I don't expect anyone to go knocking on doors, or paying for vets, or even taking the cat anywhere, but surely basic common decency would entail you getting the body off the road, or trying to get some help if the cat was still alive? I am genuinely horrified at some of the attitudes on this thread, and am glad all over again that my much-loved cats are indoors and not under threat (god forbid they ever get out by accident!) so aren't going to encounter the deranged haters!

It's a good summary of my perspective on the issue, yep. And that of about half the people who've voted on this thread.

My point about potential safety issues because of the batshit attitude of some cat owners clearly chafed with you, but you don't have to like something for it to be true...

OK but it's not just about you and your cat and the risk to ypur cat, it's also about the damage cats do. That's one of the big reasons people think it's a bit of a cheek expecting courtesy for you and your pet when you let it run around causing misery to others.

The local wildlife and people that want shit-free flower beds are glad too

I was assuming the cat was dead - and as I said I would hope people would stop if it were safe to do so. I understand that in some places it wouldn't be safe.

There are regularly posts about dead cats on Next Door and Facebook - as well as cats looking injured/unwell - so it seems many people do care. One shows up repeatedly locally because he has three legs and people see him and worry, but he's fine, and it is reassuring that people check.

I don't care frankly whether they are glad or not. Our street is full of animal lovers and most either have a dog or cat/s. I am happy that the neighbours' cats visit my garden every day. They're doing me no harm.

There are a lot of people who care, and local rescuers/rescues who do such amazing work finding these cats and their owners. I admire them so much. I wouldn't have the stomach to do what they do. They're a damn sight nicer and kinder people than some on here!

Yes, we know you don't care.

Thankfully your pet is indoors now so birds in nesting season are a bit safer

"I prefer cats to people."

Just out of interest, if you had guests staying in your house, and there was a fire, who would you rescue first - your cats or the guests?

I don't know if any of my three would be interested in catching birds. The last three I had that had outdoor access didn't. Not all cats catch birds you know. The birds were so unfazed by my elderly boy that they continued doing what they were doing if he appeared, whereas they flew away if other cats did.

We have numerous bird feeders in our garden that attract a large variety of birds, and I wouldn't want my cats to kill any. Out of all the birds, we've had the odd casualty, so I think the benefit outweighs the risk. There's actually a pair of wood pigeons nesting right now and hopefully in a tree that cats can't climb.

Out of the 7/8 cats that do visit on a daily basis, there is only one that's an avid bird killer. The others don't really bother that much.

The cats. The guests could get themselves out.

Looks like my last effort got deleted. I'll try again.

The complete refusal to consider the personal safety angle and the fact that you'd come out and say this reinforces why prefer cats to people is in itself sufficient for a lot of people to just not take anything you have to say seriously. I don't doubt that your feelings are genuine, albeit I think you might be disappointed if you're waiting for a cat to do anything about something that's been hit by a car other than maybe eat it. They're just not very persuasive.

If the guests are children, elderly, disabled or somehow else need my support, I'd assist in getting them out first. If they were able bodied adults, I'd expect them to get themselves out too.

That's exactly my point! People are saying it's just a cat. They make me sick. I wouldn't drive off and leave a dog. I wouldn't drive off and leave a cat. I slowed down the other day so I didn't hit a pigeon FFS.

There are plenty of trash humans demonstrated on this thread. My point was "it's only a dog" just as much as "it's only a cat".

I believe anyone who would leave an animal without stopping if it's safe to do so are worthless scum. Honestly, if they get hit by a car it probably wouldn't be a great loss to the world.

Honestly, if they get hit by a car it probably wouldn't be a great loss to the world.

Having a totally normal one there.

Someone who knowingly hurts an animal and drives away through choice, if they're able to stop is not a decent person. They're scum.

Thinking it's ok to do is really not normal. It's quite concerning.

It's interesting how some of you are completely unable to connect the dots here.

It really is.

Concerning, as I say.

Yet you keep on posting things that are only liable to make anyone who's hit a cat less likely to do anything.

It's no skin off my arse. I'm not one of the posters struggling to contain myself at the prospect of people who don't find my moral takes convincing. But if you actually want to persuade anyone who does hit a cat not to leave it, moralwank car crash fantasies are unlikely to do the job.