Could my cat have been saved if I found her sooner?

[Zoonose]

I am trying to get over the death of my cat who I think was hit by a car outside our house on Friday night.

We did not find her until 10am on Saturday morning despite going out searching about 9.30 on Friday night (we last saw her at 6pm Friday) and again at 7.30am on Saturday. She was lying in a gap between two bushes at the edge of a little park across the road from our house - I guess either someone had moved her off the road and put her there or she had crawled there.

What is bothering me greatly is whether if I had found her on Friday night at 9.30 and she had been run over, if taking her to a vet could have saved her. She had no visible injuries other than one slightly bleeding claw; her eyes were open and her tongue was poking out of the side of her mouth. I can only guess that she was hit - I can't think of another explanation. She would usually have been in at that time of night or have come back if called. And I was out calling her at 9.30: I am trying to persuade myself that if she was conscious then she would have answered me, and also if she was injured and could make it to the park, she could have made it to our house.

I don't know, I don't know if anyone can know really. Because I could see no visible injuries I don't know how she died. May seem like a silly question, but can a cat die from the impact alone of a collision without showing external injuries? I hate the thought that she was injured and couldn't move and died in the park in that freezing night (it was very cold that night) when we were only about 10 feet away inside our house. Or that she died in pain and cold and could have been saved if I had just shone a torch there when I was out looking for her in the evening. I must have walked past her several times.

I also deeply regret not trying harder to make her wear a collar with a phone number on it: if I knocked a cat down and it had a number on it I would call it to let the owner know. She was microchipped but that's no help unless she was in a vet's.

Sorry, a bit rambly. It's been a real shock and I feel responsible for her death. It's enough that she has died without feeling like it might have been preventable by me.

[starsmurf]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending hugs. My previous cat went missing and I never found out what happened to her. The thought that she might've been injured and died slowly still haunts me, seven years later. I agree with everyone else, it sounds like your poor cat died instantly or very quickly. She wouldn't have suffered.

As regards getting another cat, once you're ready, you could ask a rescue about getting an indoor cat if you don't want to risk one going outside. Cats with FIV can live normal, healthy lives but they need to be kept indoors, as they have weakened immune systems, so there are strays who'll be happy never to set paw outdoors. You could get a cat that has lived with, or is fine with, kids and provide him/her with places to escape the kids so everyone is happy.

I hope that's a comforting thought, rather than you feeling that you won't be able to have a cat again. I'm so sorry about your cat, losing a cat is hell on earth.

[Jane14164]

Theres so much love shown here from owners for their sweet cats and the empathy and support of contributors when our dear cats have passed over. Searching on the internet late at night, still crying, for support, information on what else if anything I could have done I came across these Mumsnet threads.Thank you for helping me tonight. Our dear cat was hit by a car. Reading your experiences, like mine, has helped me. The whole family grieves. We love when they are here, and when they are gone, but miss them so much.

[Fletchercat]

Dear Jane14164, I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. I hope you and your family are ok. This thread helped me so much when my boy Fletcher was run over in October, the devastation I felt then was awful, I really didn't know how I'd ever come to terms with it. A couple of months on I still miss him desperately and think about him all the time but things have got easier. I can talk about him and remember the good times and even think about getting a new cat at some point. Fletcher can never be replaced but I think he would have wanted us to love another cat in the way we adored him. X

[ALS503]

Thank you OP zoonose and those who have replied to this query, I have had a very similar horrific experience and have been searching for advice/counsel/reassurance. My dear cat basil was 4 years old and was missing a couple of days (not like him in the cold months) and after a couple of searches we sadly found him deceased, away from the road laid in a pile of leaves, his appearance was so upsetting (mouth open, tongue to one-side, eyes open) and he felt so Ice cold I feared he had frozen to death (I know that this isn’t the case as he wasn’t daft or shy of entering others houses for a snack or some warmth or attention) my other fear was that he may have taken a while to pass or greatly suffered, I understand now through reassurance from a vet and your posts that this was not the case as cats can and instinctively run after being hit by a car, and can and mostly pass quickly after running a fair distance, I am reassured that cats pass away even more quickly from internal injuries which seems most likely due to him looking relatively unharmed other than on closer examination: the tell-tale sheared claws and slight mark to his leg and bulge in his belly :-( he was a dear friend and family member and my partner and I are devastated and miss him dearly. I once again thank you for your kind and reassuring words you have given to the OP as it has helped me greatly too, I am a medical professional so I’m not naive, however the comments and group experience seems to make sense which also helps, as it’s not just empty reassurance.

Thank you, really
Xxx

[SLS12345]

Just wanted to add how much this thread has also helped me. We lost our beloved cat in a similar manner 4 weeks ago and it has been one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I was finally able to start 'search' for some answers to all the questions I have (until now all I could do was break down at the slightest thought of him) and came across this thread. I'm so incredibly sorry to hear so many similar stories but it has truly helped me to believe he didn't lay there suffering so from the bottom of my heart thank you to the people who contributed to this thread (minus the 1 ridiculous comment). It's also refreshing and uplifting to be reminded that there are a lot of people out there who truly care for their pets the way we do. ❤

[Pudmyboy]

@Zoonose just wanted to give you a hug and .
I was looking after a cat that was killed by a dog on the street (according to the neighbours who slept at the front of the house: they heard the commotion).
I honestly thought he never went out the front of the house: it had a tiny front garden devoid of greenery like all others on that street. In contrast the back garden was very long and backed on to one equally long, so there was a lot of places for him to explore that I thought he preferred.
He was largely unmarked, just a couple of puncture wounds so I think he may have been shaken to death.
The dog was with someone who the neighbours heard trying to get the dog off but they obviously didn't try to look after the poor bugger once the dog had done it's worst.

[Clarich007]

Hi Zoonose.
My neighbour too saw her cat being run over from a bedroom window. He was literally outside their house. The car drove away without stopping.
She was literally 20 feet away from him. By the time she unlocked the door and got to him, he had died. So about 2 minutes max.
You couldn't have done any more than you did, and at least you found him The not knowing must be worse.

[dreamingaboutcheese]

This must be a post that just keeps on giving. I Googled tonight 'why didn't my cat come home after being hit by a car' and found this thread with an almost identical story. The kind and helpful comments have reassured me so much that he didn't lie there cold and in pain all night before I found him. Nothing will take this pain away. It's been 6 weeks and I am still crying every day but I do feel better thinking it was probably quick for him. I hope this helps others too and send all of you going through this grief too a big hug x

[Somuchgoo]

This had happened to two of my beloved kitties 😢

The first, we were there within a minute or two, and she was alive but unconscious. She made it to the vets, but never regained consciousness after an unsurvivable brain injury. I am haunted that she may have been in pain, but it wouldn't have been for long.

My second, the car behind stopped (but not the driver of the car that hit her 🤬) and by the time the lady got to get, she'd gone. No visible injuries, she still looked perfect, and she was either killed instantly or within a minute.

Talking to a very friend of mine, with the sort of head impact she had, she'd have been unconscious before she even felt or saw what happened. She'd have never even known, let alone suffered.

4 and 2 years on, I still miss them so much, but I try to make peace with the fact that they wouldn't have suffered.

[Simbaautumn]

My 1 year old cat got tan over on the bypass behind my house. A witness said it’s back end got hit. It ran away from the scene into the bushes next to the road. No houses or streets on that side of the road. Been looking for him for 1 week now and can’t find him. My hearts breaking. All I think about is if he’s lying there injured and can’t walk🥲.

[IToldYouAmillionTimesAlready]

So sorry about your cat. It's highly likely that she died instantly when a car hit her. She wouldn't have known a thing.

My old boy was hit by a car a few weeks ago, and was found within minutes but was already dead. Like your cat, he didn't have any obvious injuries.

[Simbaautumn]

Just sad I can’t find him. Can’t stop thinking about him. 😢