I found my darling Barnaby dead this morning.

[PipkinsPal]

Barnaby didn't come home on Thursday night and it was totally out of character. I walked around his usual haunts. Up again at 7.45 on Friday to look for him and at 1.30pm when I came home from work - nothing. I later on went around the houses asking if anyone had seen him - nothing. This morning at 8 I had a telephone call from a lady who lives around the corner to say she could see him and he looked injured. I went to where he was and he was dead but he had been horribly mauled probably by a fox. It is tormenting me that he could have crawled away after being injured by a car and a fox killed him and I didn't get to him in time because his little body was still pliable. I buried him in the garden and when I came home an hour ago, someone has put a red rose on his grave. His brother Troy is missing him and I am crying as I write this.

I'm so so so sorry for your loss

PipkinsPal, sending you a big hug.

So sorry Pipkins.

I think the very strong likelihood is that he was knocked out by a car (they're huge compared to a cat so even a glancing blow would do massive damage) and then died. Foxes aren't usually that brave to tackle a living animal - so don't distress yourself more than you need. It would likely have been after he died.

Who placed the lovely rose on his grave?

I'm so sorry - but you did do absolutely everything you could have done.

I'm so sorry, losing a cat like this is heartwrenching.
But rigor does wear off, so he could have been killed instantly by the car.

So sorry to read this, much love to you

Im so so sorry. Your poor boy. Poor you and Troy. He sounds an incredibly loved and special friend.

I'm so so sorry for you loss. Hugs and look after yourself.

Thanks for your kind messages. I don't think he was killed instantly by a car because where I found him he wasn't there when I looked for him earlier. That's why I am tormenting myself that I could have hunted for him in the undergrowth and found him and got him the care he needed. I don't know who left the rose. It was probably one of my neighbours, Sue or Rose a lovely gesture.

I'm so sorry

Please don't torment yourself with 'what if's', you did everything you could have.

You did everything you could. And the fact that his body had been moved is neither here nor there - a fox could have dragged it there from the side of the road. Don't torment yourself.

What a lovely thing from one of your neighbours - he was obviously much loved.

please dont torment yourself any further. It sounds like Barnaby was very much loved and he would have had a very good life because of that.

Go and buy a plant in flower at the moment so each year it will flower and remind you what a lovely part of the family he was.

Very sorry Pipkins.

I'm so sorry to hear this, my thoughts are with you

So so sorry, Pipkins. It's terribly sad to lose our beloved pets. The foxes around my way were pretty scared of other animals and people. I doubt they would have gone for Barnaby if he had still been alive (even with an injury.) Give Troy and extra big hug and know you gave Barnaby a great life and cared enough to look for him at every opportunity.

I am so sorry Pipkins. Please don't torment yourself about how he died. Cozie is right - the most likely scenario is that poor Barnaby was killed in the road instantly, and then dragged away by a fox.

I'm so sorry.

I'm crying for you . Much love to you and Troy

Oh pipkins so sorry for your loss

So so sorry for your loss. :(

I'm so sorry to hear about your lovely boy Barnaby. Losing them hurts so much and these circumstances sound particularly sad. Huge sympathy to you and your family.

So very sorry to hear about Barnaby

So sorry to hear about your loss OP, my heart goes out to you. ((Hugs)) x

I'm so sorry to read this. I agree with the posters who think he most likely died instantly, and knew absolutely nothing about it, and was then moved by the fox.

Big hugs.

hugs