Lost our lovely little kitten

[LoveHartnett]

Absolutely devastated beyond words, our 9month old little kitten was run over yesterday, crawled home then died of her injuries. We live very rurally but there is a road running through the village on the one side of our house. She always used to stick to the garden, I never saw her head out that way but obviously must have ventured further that day.

I can’t stop crying, and feel like I let her down, the whole family is devestated, she was such a big character, the house is empty without her.

how can such a little thing just die, I can’t cope with how scared she must have been. she brought me so much joy everyday, the world seems so much much more serious without her here. How can I get over this, and will I ever be able to forgive myself?

Apologies if I sound silly and over dramatic, this has totally knocked me for 6

I’m so sorry
It’s so devastating to lose a beautiful young animal in a RTA. It’s so shocking, and unexpected, it really knocks you for six.
She had a happy, but short, life with you that was full of love.
I hope time helps heal your heart.

Everything the PP says. I’m so very sorry, heartbreaking ❤️‍🩹

I’m so sorry to hear this, I love cats, but it’s one reason I won’t get one, as I live by a road and wouldn’t want it to go out, but you can’t not. Can’t imagine how devastating it must be.

I am so sorry, OP. It breaks your heart. I have always had cats wherever I have lived and lost a couple along the way in this manner. It is always a risk with cats.

Cats are natural explorers and built for the outdoors so I have never kept my cats in. Even when I took on a rescue 'designer' cat who had lived her life indoors, I let her out. She loved it and it made her last few years so happy.

There was nothing that you could have done and of course this will stay with you but the pain and guilt will ease. You did the right thing to let her go out to explore.

This has happened but it might not happen again. I have had cats that have lived until almost 20 years old and I live on quite a busy residential road. This kind of thing is par for the course when you have cats, no matter where you live.

Thank you all, it’s so hard to stop thinking about how young she was, and how brutal her death was. She absolutely loved going outside, spent all day playing in our garden, which has lots of different little sections. She loved it, I could never imagine depriving her of the enjoyment she had outside but equally cannot bear how she died

I can’t express how much joy she brought to us, just a little ball of benign innocence. The hole that her passing has left us with is so much greater than I could ever have imagined.

thinking of everyone who has been through this. X

Oh OP, I'm so sorry to hear this. I also have a cat who loves exploring our garden, stalking insects and snoozing under bushes. I could never keep her in either, but every time I let her out I wonder if I'll see her again (we live on a very quiet road, but cats do sometimes disappear).

I know you're probably not thinking about another cat yet, but when the time is right would your garden be suitable for catproofing? Then any future cat could still go out to play in the garden, lie in the sun, climb trees etc but just not get onto the road.

You poor love. I am so very sorry.

So sorry, such a young life, cruelly ended.
She had a happy life with you and managed to get to her place of safety, her home with you, before passing. It is heartbreaking.
I love your description of her, as a 'ball of benign innocence', perfect. The hole they leave in our hearts is much much bigger than their physical size.💐💐💐

I am so sorry. It is a dreadful way to lose them and she was so young.

But she had a happy life.

You gave her freedom, as well as love. Sadly, freedom carries a risk but they do so love playing and exploring outside.