Cat hit by car

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Silverspring

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I know this isn't horse related but I thought I felt quite touched by this and it's you guys I know best.

I found a cat very recently hit by a car on a back road from the yard last week. It was dead but hadn't been run over (ie not road kill) so I moved it to the side of the road and took it's collar off. Tried to call the number but got a crazy lady who said she didn't own a cat then hung up on me.

So I google mapped the postcode when I got home and went to the house. Was dreading having to tell the people but they were not in, got a note pad thinking what I was going to write and my pen wouldn't work! So I went home and called my friend who is a vet nurse. I was a tad distraught (dead animal, not being able to contact owners, frustration and the thought that a fox would most likely eat the poor thing by morning!) anyway she came and collected the cat (it was almost 10pm by this point) took it to her surgery and scanned it for a microchip. The cat had been chipped by the surgery and they had a different number on file.

So she called them the next day and broke the news, the cat had been cleaned up so they went to the surgery to say good bye and decide to get her cremated.

I just got a message from my friend asking for my address as they want to send me a thank you card for what I done for their little cat.

I am feeling very touched by the sentiment, I feel I done what any animal lover would have done but really appreciate the thanks.
 
I'm so pleased you found the owners. Well done you. I've always tried to find owners when I've seen a dead cat, as I know what it's like to not know. It really upset me a couple of years ago to find a cat in the middle of the road with cars just driving over him. Thankfully he was between wheels, so I scooped him up. There was something very undignified about just leaving him in the road. I like to think someone would do it for me.
 
My cat was killed on the road nearly 3 years ago. Although I found him myself I am sure someone had moved him to the grass verge, he hadn't a mark on him. I was very grateful to whoever did that, made what happened slightly easier.
 
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I've always tried to find owners when I've seen a dead cat, as I know what it's like to not know.

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I agree, the not knowing is the worst part. It's terrible to know your pet has been killed but at least you know what happened. To loose an animal and not know if it strayed, was taken, was killed, is trapped is the worst feeling ever.

Anyway RIP Lottie, she was a lovely looking little grey cat, it was a quick death and she's in a better place now.
 
Good for you for making the effort. That act of kindness will have made such a difference for the owners of that little cat. I wish more people would show such compassion
frown.gif
 
Well done for your efforts--they have closure
Having found my cat which had been missing (believed dead) for a couple of months. Thanks to local retired gamekeeper who spotted her.
It is the 'not knowing' and searching which is almost as hard to deal with as the hurt of having one killed.
 
I tried to help in two cases in which I saw cats run over with fatal consequences.
One was in Audley a few years ago in which two cats ( looked under a year old) were playing chase and one ran straight onto the main road and bump into a car. Wasn't nice to see. Car driver never stopped although it was safe for them to do so as it was daylight and no other vehicles on the road. I heard the bump as I was at the bus stop right opposite and so they must have felt it hit the car. The cat jumped into the air and with two leaps fell to the ground in a bit of wasteland between two shops.
I went over to one of the shops, which was a chemist and the staff were quite rude to be honest. Didn't seem at all bothered that a cat had been fatally hit at all. The other shop was a cafe and I had been told that the occupier did feed cats so I presumed that the cat may have been semi feral. I asked a bloke who was walking his dog to open the gate and check the cat for me as I couldn't open the tall gates and they didn't look safe, plus I had my then young daughter with me as well. The cat was indeed dead and was wearing no collar.
I wrote a note and pushed it through the letterbox of the cafe saying what had happened and where the cat was and left my number. It took me nearly 2 hours to get home as I missed my bus and they were then hourly. I got a phonecall from the lady who thanked me for letting her know and she did confirm it was a semi feral cat. But it was still sad to see a young cat die like that. One minute full of fun playing with its friend and the next whack and dead.
The next time was 6 years ago when I was on the way back from reporting at an evening meeting at Uttoxeter races. We were on the A34 at Trent Vale and a black cat ran straight in front of us. We slowed down and missed it only for it to be hit on the other side of the road. I made my partner turn around so we could get to it. By the time we found somewhere to turn around the cat had been hit again. It was bloody horrible to see it and know you could do nothing to save it. By the time we got to it I waited till safe and got the cat out of the road. I tried to ring my own vets but couldn't remember the pager number when asked as I was in a bit of a state really. We picked the cat up and wrapped it in my coat and took it to the nearest vet that I knew which was at Trent Vale. I got in touch with the RSPCA and the vet came to the vets we were parked outside. The vet had to drive from Stafford. The poor cat was alive, but gurgling and its head was rolling. All I could do was to try and keep its airway clear as possible and keep it still. It was upsetting though to know that the cat was literally dying on my lap. I felt so much for the owners as I have cats and was thinking they are going to be heartbroken over this. By the time the vet arrived which was nearly 50 mins the cat was dead. I can only be thankful that the cat was unconscious on my lap and was not aware of what was going on. It no doubt had brain damage due to the head rolling and would most likely have been pts anyway if it had survived until the vet came. It was wearing a green collar, but no tag and it wasn't chipped either. The vet said they would put up an ad in the vets and I rang around a few businesses on the main road near to where it was and asked them to put cards up. I also rang the local radio station too and asked them to put a mention out or for them to contact if someone rang in reporting a missing cat of the same description. To this day I have no idea if the owners ever discovered what happened to their cat. I know if was me I would have liked to have known either way so there was closure because it is upsetting when pets go missing.
If I saw a cat or any other animal injured like that I would not hesitate to go and try to help so long as it was safe for me to do so and I wouldn't cause an accident.
 
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