Cats in our little town being hit by cars.

[WildFlowerBees]

Every few days on the community page there's a post about someone's cat being run over. Makes me so sad/angry that people don't take more care. Obviously there are incidents where it's unavoidable but 5 in the last 8 days have been killed. Either I live somewhere where the local cats have a death wish or people drive like dicks.

It's very unfortunate but I don't think anyone is driving around looking for cats to run over.

You’d be surprised. Many years ago, I remember being horrified at the revelation from a friend (she thought it was awful too) that her dh (a policeman, as it happens) hated cats to such an extent that, when driving, he would speed up and aim for them if he saw one in the road.

Sadly it is happening in our town too particularly in one part of town that has a large amount of feral cats.

I'm not saying there's a cat killer on the loose, just idiot drivers who drive above their skill level. Same with hedgehogs, lots get run over here. Why can't people just be more careful.

Unfortunately alot of idiot drivers in our village and surrounding areas too. With the bad driving conditions of being dark early, ice, poorly lit roads and the blinding low sun in the mornings plus avoiding said idiot drivers, if a cat runs in front of a car it may not be seen in time which is more likely. What is awfu, is anyone hitting an animal and not stopping to get it help ASAP.

And people wonder why I wanted indoor only cats!

Add this to the thread about cats being shot by BBs and air guns, then read about people putting anti-freeze down intentionally and you may see why 😢

Exactly this, I generally keep my mouth shut because people are SO angry about indoor cats in the UK even though most of the US, Canada and Australia are handling it just fine. But every time I see a "my cat got run over" or "my cat was poisoned" post I think it wouldn't have happened if you'd kept the cat inside. :(

I'm aware it's a contentious issue and people will be along shortly to tell me how cruel I am, but that's why cats should be indoors only. I have two indoor cats - they have the run of the house and a very full, happy life. They have plenty of toys, love and stimulation, and enjoy the yard outside. They are well into their teens and all the healthier for never having eaten something awful outside and needing to be rushed to the vets.

Not to mention the dreadful impact free roaming cats have on the environment and local wildlife.

We also used to have a local un-neutered tom in the area, who would parade round the local gardens spraying everything. He sent 2 male but neutered cats from over the road to the vets, then went into my NDN's house and upstairs to beat up her poor little girl cat who was asleep on the bed - that one was touch and go whether she'd make it.

So local cats like "Orange and White Bastard" are another reason why I decided on indoor cats.

What a f*er! I can't believe some cat owners...

It's so sad to hear about cats being hit by cars although I do often wonder why people who live next to a fast road have cats that they allow outdoors. I remember reading about a woman who had had 3 cats which had all been run over but she lived next to a national speed limit road with no front garden. There were loads of comments from others about living next to a main road and losing their cats too. I do think car drivers should take more care but also people should think whether where they live is suitable for a cat.

Hearing about lost, injured and killed cats breaks my heart. I've never even come close to hitting any animal in the 5 years I've been driving (and the god knows how many years stop starting learning). I drive on country roads in poor conditions regularly and I always look out for ill clothed pedestrians, bolshy cats and clueless wildlife.
I've come to the conclusion people are unobservant, in a hurry or worst honestly don't care. I've lost count of the number of times I've driven down a local road in both directions within a short time frame and on the way out nothing to see, barely a couple of hours later there's a dead fox or badger. :(

I trained my cat on a harness from a kitten (a docile breed can't imagine trying on a moggy) so I know he's safe and my conscience is clear that he gets outdoor time and no birds are hunted.

It's the same where we live and it's the main reason my three are indoor-only.

I also think most of the time, it's not the fault of the driver, especially at this time of year. It's dark, it's icy, cats run out from beneath cars or from under a hedge and by the time you spot them, it's too late.

I remember driving through a village months ago where someone had made a large sign by the side of the road in the shape of a black cat and written on it something like “slow down please - 5 recent cat road deaths :( “ in chalk paint like you see on pub special boards.

It wouldn’t help the poor cats that have already suffered but remember thinking at the time that it was quite powerful and sobering in getting drivers to think and slow down.

It's similar here (perhaps we live in the same town) we have 20 mph speed limits in residential areas but even that's no good if cats dart across in front of you (plus there's some 30mph arterial routes). Our cat stays in the back garden thankfully (no side entrance, can't get over brick walls

Nobody deliberately is running them over, it's the cats running out in front of cars that's the issue, the one killed last week on my road was black and it was at 11pm, the driver didn't stand a chance of seeing it

It's rarely the driver at fault IME.

Cats are small and fast - one second the road is clear and the next, a cat is darting out in front of you and it's too late.

Personally I don't understand the mentality of letting a small cat outside to "roam". It's so dangerous.