This morning, while I was coming back from the shops, I found one of my cats dead on our estate; she’d been hit by a car. She was such a character, it was as if she could almost talk. I miss her terribly. She was only a year old. Honestly, I think I’d have smashed their car to pieces, I’m so full of rage. My daughter brought her home to me after she’d been found abandoned with her sister in a cardboard box. This is the sixth cat I’ve lost in three years.
Translated from French
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You can forgive an accident, but not the sheer irresponsibility of people who hit an animal and drive off without stopping to deal with what could be a life-or-death situation.
My cats go outdoors, so there are obviously risks involved, but I’d be so relieved to know that if there was an accident, someone had stepped in to help my cat and done everything they could to give them a chance of pulling through, or at least kept me informed about what happened. I’d even be more than happy to reimburse anyone who went to that kind of effort (and on that note, well done @Greylox).
And then there are times when you just can’t do anything; you don't even have time to swerve.
It happened to a mate of mine; I was in the car and there was nothing he could have done. The cat, a local stray, was killed instantly. It just darted out right under the wheels; it was the middle of the night.
We wrapped him in a blanket "just in case" and took him back to my place – I was still holding out some hope – but once we got home, we had to face facts: he was dead.
I also remember a story my uncle used to tell me. That time it wasn’t a cat, but a child who ran out from between two parked cars. Luckily, the kid got away with just a broken arm. You’re always supposed to be in control of your vehicle, but unfortunately, there are situations where that simply isn’t enough.
Letting your cat go outside really does mean taking the risk of losing them in all sorts of different ways. It’s a choice you have to make with your eyes wide open.
Former User... I suppose some truths are just hard to hear... I’m still sorry for that cat, but there’s no such thing as zero risk when you let your pet roam free.
I’ve often had to swerve on the road because of cats darting out right in front of the car; people don’t realise the risks they’re forcing on others by letting cats wander. Of course, many people would rather hit the animal than end up in a ditch, but even though I’m not exactly a cat person, I couldn’t see myself deliberately running one over.
We’ve already got enough to deal with regarding wildlife, who have more of a right to be out in the countryside than our dogs and cats do...
She says this is the sixth cat she’s lost in three years; she needs to make her mind up about what she’s saying.
Sometimes, even when you’re not going fast, even at 5 or 10 mph, you can still hit an animal that bolts out at the last second or hides between the wheel and the wheel arch.
There’s no point wanting to smash up the car; at the end of the day, a pet is the owner’s responsibility, even a cat. So if it causes an accident, well, it’s not going to be the driver’s fault.
Of course, you also get some absolute idiots who drive like maniacs and would run over anything without a second thought.
If you’re just going to post rubbish like that, don’t bother. If they hadn’t been driving so fast, it wouldn't have happened. Besides, I've lived here for twenty years and this is the first one that’s ever been hit.
I’m so sorry for what happened to you and your cat, but I have to agree with @Miaou21.
We don’t know the exact circumstances of this tragedy, and there’s no way of knowing if your cat didn't just bolt across the road, making it impossible for the driver to avoid him. Besides, by trying to swerve, the driver could have crashed, and the damage would have been your responsibility, as you are legally accountable for your pet at all times.
People often forget that cats are subject to the same kind of rules as dogs when it comes to roaming. It’s become a bit of a habit to let cats wander wherever they like, whereas if you have a dog, you make sure to keep them on your property. Yet both are just as likely to cause a nuisance or a serious accident if they are allowed to roam unsupervised.
On top of that, an outdoor cat isn't just at risk of being hit by a car; they could be attacked by dogs, foxes, or other cats, catch diseases, or even end up being shot by a farmer. Not to mention the toll they take on birds and garden wildlife—it might sound trivial, but unfortunately, cats are more than capable of causing unnecessary harm to the local ecosystem.
From now on, please take precautions: keep your other cats indoors and give them plenty of enrichment, such as cat trees, scratching posts, various toys, and lots of quality time with you. That way, you won’t have to fear for their lives anymore.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your cat. Unfortunately, it’s a real risk whenever they’re allowed outdoors. If this is the sixth cat you’ve lost in three years, you really ought to consider keeping them as indoor cats from now on, as you’re clearly living in a high-risk area. I’m sure the person who hit him didn't do it on purpose.
