Can cats survive alongside a busy road?

[Patchworkpony]

Can cats survive alongside a busy road or will they automatically get run over? My vet said this morning that lots of cats get knocked down even on quiet country lanes and it's one of the hazards of keeping a cat. This afternoon my osteopath who lives in the middle of Exeter informed me that he has kept 3 cats alive and well just a street away from a main arterial road. What have been your experiences of cats and roads? I would love to know.

 

[Evie91]

Many years ago I lived in London. Rehomed two cats through a charity. Both cats were ran over and died - in less than three years. Lived in a house with a huge, long garden too.
Swore I'd never have a cat again near a main road.
I now have two more - live in the sticks, just off a lane, backing on to woodland and fields. The road still worries me.

 

[1rocky1]

one died outside us last week !

 

[cptrayes]

I live on a country road with ten cars an hour max and still had a cat killed at eleven in the morning :'(

I had one killed on a very quiet road twenty five years back as well.

Yet I had a cat here with a huge territory who regularly crossed a fast A road and died of old age.

I've also seen a black and white cat cross the road carefully and safely for about ten years down in town on the main road..

I think it depends on the cat.

 

[cptrayes]

My sister in law has a lot of success with a buried wire and a shock collar to stop her cats from going out of the front of the house onto a road where she has lost a couple. Might be a thought, but you have to teach them about it on a lead, if they learn to bolt through it first, you're sunk.

 

[Asha]

We had cats whilst on a main road , they where killed after about 2 years. Now we live in a very quiet area, with the odd car. Bob was run over a couple of weeks ago. It shouldn't have happenened it's sooooo quiet. The difference is he's survived. Still has a wonky tail, and isn't using his other leg, but he's getting better. I think it depends on the cat.

 

[Patchworkpony]

It does appear that some cats have an instinct to stay away from roads while other cats will walk straight out into the path of an oncoming car - the problem is you don't know which type is which until it is too late.

 

[Emma_H]

I would never have a cat by a main road again, it breaks your heart. We had a few killed when I lived at home on a main road in Salisbury and again in Southampton I had 2 killed.

 

[Princess Rosie]

We had two cats on a main road for four years with no issues, there were 5 cats in the neighbourhood and we only saw one poor neighbours kitty killed in four years, more likely due to the fact that it was a very busy road so constant traffic which generally kept the days off the road but the occasionally the cats did regularly dash across the road in a gap in traffic to see their pals (used to terrify me!), we now live somewhere very rural at the end of a private road and there are about 11 vehicles coming and going each say and ours still run like crazy away from the vehicles if they are near the road. I guess it's just luck I'm afraid.

 

[3Beasties]

We live on a quiet country lane. In the 17 years we have been here we have had 8 road accidents. One cat was ran over 3 times, she never did learn! Sadly we lost her after the last accident. We always say 'never again' but just can't be without cats and would not subject them to a life indoors.

Our most recent accident was my older cat getting run over....on our drive.... by our vet!! It was very touch and go for a while but thankfully he pulled through!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

In my lifetime, I've lost cats on the road when I lived on quiet country roads. In more suburban areas, they've been fine. My theory is that in built up areas, the traffic is slower and more constant whereas in the country, the cars go faster and are less frequent, so catch the cat unawares.

 

[cptrayes]

We live on a quiet country lane. In the 17 years we have been here we have had 8 road accidents. One cat was ran over 3 times, she never did learn! Sadly we lost her after the last accident. We always say 'never again' but just can't be without cats and would not subject them to a life indoors.

Our most recent accident was my older cat getting run over....on our drive.... by our vet!! It was very touch and go for a while but thankfully he pulled through!

Did he bill you? For the treatment I mean, not the running over!

Friend's lab was killed by the vet reversing over it as it was sunbathing on the yard :'( idiot dog, it wasn't sleep, it just didn't move!

 

[MileAMinute]

I live on one of the main roads into the city. Very busy with a LOT of traffic running through. No problem with my cats, though they prefer to stay in, eat me out of house and home and lie on the radiators so I can't dry my clothes on them...

 

[cptrayes]

I live on one of the main roads into the city. Very busy with a LOT of traffic running through. No problem with my cats, though they prefer to stay in, eat me out of house and home and lie on the radiators so I can't dry my clothes on them...

You dry your clothes on your cats? Neat trick, mine wouldn't stand for it

 

[MileAMinute]

You dry your clothes on your cats? Neat trick, mine wouldn't stand for it

Haha they'd be more likely to wear the clothes and claim them for themselves! As I speak one of the cats is lying directly in front of my keyboard so I am twisting around her so I can type....

 

[Goldenstar]

I have lost two cats on the road including my lovely Turkish street cat that I brought home she survived living rough in one of the most chaotic cities in the world to get run down in rural Northumberland .

 

[Clannad48]

It definitely depends on the cat, we have had three - one of ours used to leap across the road if she heard a car, yet another cat use to stand in the middle as if daring the cars, another one also used to like to lay down in the gutter. Not one was run over, we lost one to kidney disease, one to cancer and our oldest cat was put to sleep on Thursday at the grand age of 22 years, 9 months and 16 days.

 

[Moya_999]

Can cats survive alongside a busy road or will they automatically get run over? My vet said this morning that lots of cats get knocked down even on quiet country lanes and it's one of the hazards of keeping a cat. This afternoon my osteopath who lives in the middle of Exeter informed me that he has kept 3 cats alive and well just a street away from a main arterial road. What have been your experiences of cats and roads? I would love to know.

I don't agree with having "normal" cats near a busy road, There are plenty of indoor cats to choose from if you want a cat near a main road.

To many will venture out and get knocked down - IMO it's a signed death wish.

 

[Mrs B]

I don't agree with having "normal" cats near a busy road, There are plenty of indoor cats to choose from if you want a cat near a main road.

To many will venture out and get knocked down - IMO it's a signed death wish.

Beg to differ. There are no 'indoor cats'. They are all just cats whatever breed and whatever we would like to believe. Their preference and their nature is to be able to come and go as they please: there is always the risk that they may get killed by a car when outside. Whether we like it or not, their wish is to be able to roam.

But if they get hit, chances are they won't know about it. Yes, I would grieve terribly, but isn't that my look-out, having a cat? I know up until that point, my cat would have been happy.

To keep a cat indoors just to keep the 'owner' happy is a very selfish thing to do, IMO.

 

[hackneylass2]

I beg to differ too Mrs B.

All a cat needs to be happy is social interaction with another cat(s), the opportunity to play and exhibit natural chase/catch behaviours and a quiet undisturbed place to rest.

It is a fallacy that cats need to roam free, just like the old 'putting the cat out for the night' or letting the female have 'just one litter' before being spayed.

Its a best case scenario, is it not? Convince yourself that 'chances are a cat won't know about it' if its hit.
Chances also are that the cat may incurr terrible injuries and crawl off somewhere to die a slow agonising death undiscovered.

What about accidents caused by swerving to avoid a cat?

What about the shock and grief of an animal loving driver hitting a cat?

Also many cats are made ill or die through exposure to chemicals, usually garden treatments like lawn weedkillers, antifreeze etc.

Cats can contract incurable illnesses such as FeLv and FiV from fighting with other cats.

IMO its selfish to let a cat out and expose it to such dangers. If you take on a cat as a pet, you are responisble for its safetly and wellbeing so its a no brainer that you keep it inside.

 

[Patchworkpony]

Thank you everyone for all your helpful comments. It would seem that there are two distinct schools of thought on this - but I would never keep a cat indoors as all the ones we have ever had simply loved to go outside roaming. I would prefer not to keep a cat at all than shut it in all day but that is just my opinion and of course every cat is different.

 

[Patchworkpony]

There are plenty of indoor cats to choose from if you want a cat near a main road.

Moya_999 When you say there are plenty to choose from do you specifically mean by breed or the nature of the cat?

 

[cptrayes]

Thank you everyone for all your helpful comments. It would seem that there are two distinct schools of thought on this - but I would never keep a cat indoors as all the ones we have ever had simply loved to go outside roaming. I would prefer not to keep a cat at all than shut it in all day but that is just my opinion and of course every cat is different.

This, though I could have done without a squeaking mouse being dumped in my face as I was doing my hamstring stretches this morning

I don't think anyone who has had free roaming cats in a country area could possibly believe that they would be better off indoors all the time, though obviously some cats would quite like that, they are all individuals.

The road is just one of life's risks. From what I've seen, which may not be representative of them all, indoor cats visit vets much more often than mine do, who usually go only twice, once to be neutered and once when they never come home.

 

[Patchworkpony]

This, though I could have done without a squeaking mouse being dumped in my face as I was doing my hamstring stretches this morning.

Try wondering what is haunting your kitchen for a week, rattling the pans in the cupboard and making strange thumps in the night, only to find that 'somebody' has hidden a baby rabbit in there - but God knows how!

 

[Moya_999]

Blind and deaf cats lots of times have to stay in

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Beg to differ. There are no 'indoor cats'. They are all just cats whatever breed and whatever we would like to believe. Their preference and their nature is to be able to come and go as they please: there is always the risk that they may get killed by a car when outside. Whether we like it or not, their wish is to be able to roam.

But if they get hit, chances are they won't know about it. Yes, I would grieve terribly, but isn't that my look-out, having a cat? I know up until that point, my cat would have been happy.

To keep a cat indoors just to keep the 'owner' happy is a very selfish thing to do, IMO.

I know I said I would not return to H&H ( been 2 months) but had to respond to this and correct it.


Your wrong when you say there are no indoor cats, there are cats who are aptly named indoor cats due to the unforeseen circumstance that puts them in that class due to FIV aids or FELV.

These cats are called indoor cats due to the fact they are not allowed to go outside under any circumstances. These cats are general re-homed in towns where people live in a flat or busy road and want a cat in the house to keep them company. These cats are called indoor cats, so your differ is not correct in these circumstances.

 

[NinjaPony]

Never used to agree with indoor cats until my cat was diagnosed with diabetes and due to how unstable he is it became too risky to let him out in case he had a hypo/hyper outside. To be honest, my cat was a hunter/stalker etc but he's now very happy and well adjusted indoors. My next cat (there will be two) will be indoor cats with supervised access outside to a safe garden (you can catproof a garden if you get really decent fencing designed to keep them in) which seems like a good compromise. I wouldn't want to risk a young healthy cat getting killed/lost/stolen.

 

[Wiz201]

I live in a mid terraced house with rear garden and there is a rear passage outside which one car and the dustbin men can get down. Then at the end of that there is a main bus route road. My female cat is mostly indoor and only potters out in the garden occasionally. I decided to get another rescue and he has been going outside all his life so he is very traffic wise. He also doesn't use a litter tray indoors so he is out more often. I wouldn't say he roams far.

 

[Patchworkpony]

I live in a mid terraced house with rear garden and there is a rear passage outside which one car and the dustbin men can get down. Then at the end of that there is a main bus route road. My female cat is mostly indoor and only potters out in the garden occasionally. I decided to get another rescue and he has been going outside all his life so he is very traffic wise. He also doesn't use a litter tray indoors so he is out more often. I wouldn't say he roams far.

We are looking into a 4 year old rescue from a busy city so I am hoping she will have plenty of road sense. It's always a gamble but the rescue centre said there are never any guarantees with cats; which is a very sensible attitude - unusual!

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Try wondering what is haunting your kitchen for a week, rattling the pans in the cupboard and making strange thumps in the night, only to find that 'somebody' has hidden a baby rabbit in there - but God knows how!

Goodness, I thought a mouse living in my kitchen for a few days was bad enough, yet alone a baby rabbit! We did have one year when they were lain out on the lawn in various states several days running.