Deceased Cat Question

[Time Waster]

On our way home we got waved down by someone who was shaken up a bit. We thought there had been an accident and someone was hurt round the corner. Turns out they braked to avoid a cazt only for another car just carrying on past them and straight into the cat. We gave them something to put it on and the guy saw it's last breath. A lovely grey tabby.

Anyway, what would you do about a cat if you saw it get hit? Drive by or other action? What is the best advice?

I'm not a cat person but I was a bit sad about it. There was no need for it to die. We're local and called someone nearer the location but they did not know the cat or owners.

 

[Reynard]

Take to a vet where they'll scan for a chip. And knock on the doors in the area.

 

[Emanresu]

Lost a dog in similar circumstances when a neighbour chased it out of their garden but onto the road.

Neighbour was apologetic. Driver said nothing but claimed against our insurance for the damage. Perhaps you might save the owner from that one.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Please go and get it and take it to any vets they will scan for a microchip and sort out disposal etc. Post on local Facebook pages that the cat is at the vets. Its really hard not knowing where your cat is and it gives owners closure. I've picked up loads of dead cats and taken them to the vets because I know how hard it is to lose one.

 

[lazybloke]

Do the right thing.
When my daft fluffy cat was hit by a car, the driver didn't stop, but the "yoof" walking home from the pub took pity and even put a fleece round him to keep him warm as he faded away.
A touching act that still brings tears to my eyes several years after the event <sob>.

And with that thought, I'm going in to cuddle my current two moggies!

 

[fossyant]

One of ours got squashed. Someone passing posted on facebook, I spotted it, thought it must be ours and phoned the wife who popped round the corner to retrieve him, just as a person arrived to scan him.

 

[Beebo]

Legally you have to report a dog collision to the police. There is no legal requirement for a cat.
But as above it is someone’s beloved pet and they need to know.

 

[Time Waster]

We got stopped by the partner of thee car driver who stopped before hitting it but the second car didn't stop just overtook, or something like that, and hit it. The poor thing apparently kind of jumped up just before the hit but still got caught. The driver was given our blanket and by the time I hobbled there (sprained ankle so I was not as quick as the guy with our blanket). He put it on our blanket, nice wool one so it was as comfortable as we could make it. He then walked back to me to say he'd seen it's last breath. Now dead we moved it under a shelter next to the building it happened outside while we thought about things. The driver and me then wrapped it up in the blanket and put it in their car. They said they were taking it to leave outside the local vets. We told them the nearest one as they were not from this area.

My partner called the vets but they had not received a dead cat. no idea where it is but the other car driver's partner left her phone number with a nearby household who were going to post on local Facebook page. Nothing on there yet though. My partner is calling my mum to ask her to put the word out in the village where it happened on the outskirts of. She lives there and volunteers at the community facilities so perhaps the owner will find out if not get full confirmation. I do not know what else we can do considering we do not have the dead cat's body nor live in that village.

It was dark but it looked like a grey tabby with perhaps a slight hint of brown in the undercarriage. It looked like it would have been a really nice looking cat in life. A shame! Mind you if it does get to a vet's and it is chipped (they have to now right?) then there is a chance the owners get to find out it died in a car accident and that gives closure.

 

[Time Waster]

Latest news is that the owner has been found and informed. We have private messaged the lady who posted about the incident that if the owner wanted further details they could contact us. We don't know much more but at least we can tell them that it happened so quickly and someone was with it and put it in a blanket as it died. It might help to know that it was as comfortable in it's last moments as we could make it.

I told the the other guy that I was more of a dog kind of a guy, he said the same, but I do not like the idea that a cat suffers. Indeed any animal. A nice tabby, such a shame and all because a driver was in a rush and overtook a car that emergency stopped to avoid hitting the cat. Who does that????

Someone upthread told us to do the right thing. I think we have done what we could and that is enough.

I heard that about legally having to report a dog or something bigger but not a cat. I heard it because a dog is more under control or owned or similar, but the cat is semi wild or something like that. A lower value was one argument for that rule excluding notifying about killing a cat vs a dog. That still doesn't seem fair because pets are equally a part of the family no matter whether a dog or cat.

One point, the cat never had a collar, I assume that is so it doesn't hang itself with it. I have heard that the recommendation is to take your dog's collar off at home for that reason. As a kid they used to say you put a collar on a cat with a bell to stop it killing wild birds. Things probably change with time so the advice with cat collars is to not have one. Which makes cat chipping more important and also for us to have an idea what to do, namely to take to the nearest vets to be scanned for a chip.

Do you cat owners have your cat chipped?

 

[Kingfisher101]

It's the law that cats are chipped now. Mine have always been chipped and neutered.

 

[Cycleops]

Never mind it's still got eight lives left.

 

[Drago]

Decent collars have a stretchy insert so they can't hang themselves with it.

 

[grldtnr]

I'm fond of cats,always try and chat them up, normally a one way conversation.
But, I have twice had to deal with deceased cats on my property, the onus is on you to dispose of the body, and try and contact the owner.
That's all and good if it's known to you,but stranger cats it's not so easy.
The best thing ,is to take to a Vet, for them to test for a microchip, and let them contact the owner/comfort provider.
It's often said cats aren't owned the have staff !
As long as you state is not your cat then you won't be charged, Council depts, won't dispose of deceased cats, from private property, tho they must from public areas for health reasons, same with Roadkill wildlife ,they are responsible to clear it up, around here it's normally a case of peeling what's left, of the carriageway then hosing down.

 

[Reynard]

It's the law that cats are chipped now. Mine have always been chipped and neutered.

As is mine. CP started chipping as a matter of course in around 2009.

 

[Reynard]

Decent collars have a stretchy insert so they can't hang themselves with it.

They're still not good though, as because they stretch, it's easy for a cat to get a leg through the collar if it snags on something, leading to some absolutely horrific injuries. These are injuries that will at a minimum need a skin graft, and can also lead to amputation of the skin and muscle is too badly damaged.