If you find an injured cat in the road....

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If you find an injured cat in the road....

112 posts & 52 voices | Started 7 months ago by derek_starship | Latest reply from nedrapier

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derek_starship - Member

I love cats. We have two. On my ride home from work tonight i saw a cat twitching in the opposite lane. I assume it was struck by a car. I rode on. I had no means of transporting the poor bugger or providing comfort or medical attention. I felt awful. If i'd been in my car I'd have taken it to a vet or rescue centre.

What would happen if you took such a cat to a vet? Do they provide emergency care or do they want money / credit card details up front? Just want to know in case I happen across an injured cat or dog again.

Posted 7 months ago #
JAG - Member

I've done it and he wanted paying - I couldn't refuse.

Poor cat was lay upside down in the gutter with his legs waving about. I'm not a big fan of cats but I couldn't ignore him

PS; owner put signs out saying 'missing cat' a few days later so we contacted them, they collected the cat (he recovered ok) and re-payed us

Posted 7 months ago #
djglover - Member

Finish it off with a jack?

Posted 7 months ago #
Woody - Member

I couldn't leave an injured animal regardless of whether it was a cat/dog/rabbit or even a bird.

Depending on what it is and the extent of its injuries, either finish it off as humanely as possible or take to the vet/call the Police. Don't just leave it suffering FFS

Posted 7 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

Yeah, if it's knacked, and suffering, just finish it off. No point wasting a vet's time. Yeah I know it's a cuddly animal family pet etc etc, but at the end of the day, it's just an animal, and deserving of as painless a death as possible. Taking it to a vet might just prolong it's suffering; the vet would probbly put it down anyway tbh.

Not nice, but necessary. Far worse to just leave it there and do nothing cos you're a bit squeamish.

Posted 7 months ago #
TenMen - Member

A friend of mine hit a cat whilst driving. He got out and saw it on the pavement, twitching, and looking like it was seriously injured. He decided that it was in the cat's best interests to help it on its way to the big cattery in the sky, and so got out of the car and gave it a crack on the skull with a large maglite, which stopped it twitching on a permanent basis pretty sharpish. Thinking he had been cruel to be kind, he got back into his car and drove off. As he did, he saw something in his rear view mirror that had been under his car. He stopped, got out again, and saw in the road the cat that he had run over, quite dead. This was a different cat to the one he had killed with his torch, which presumably had been having a bit of a dream whilst sleeping peacefully on the pavement. He never drove down that road again.

So in answer to your question, I'd avoid any self-diagnosis and get the experts in.

Posted 7 months ago #
camo16 - Member

Comments so far are good IMO, but miss a few important details:

1. The cat's in the road (I'm guessing a busy road?) so you can't just whack it. People don't like strange men whacking cats.

2. Even if you know where the vet is and are willing to pay, how can you transport a wounded cat on a bike? In your backpack? Strapped to your seatpost? Tricky...

Posted 7 months ago #
supertramp - Member

I am no big fan or cats, but i would think hitting one over the head and killing it is most probably illegal! So as much as you might want to 'help' you may have no choice but just leave it.

Posted 7 months ago #
Olly - Member

A friend of Joses was reversing his car out of a parking space, and felt a "bump" as he did so. He had snagged a kitten, which was clearly inexperienced in waking up when the car they are asleep under starts up.

it clearly wasnt going anywhere other than the cattery in the sky, so all he could do was get back in his car, and make sure

(reverse, forward a bit, more reverse, more forward: Flat pack cat)

awful, but you kind of have to laugh :s

(love cats, anyone who smacks my cat is in deep trouble)

Posted 7 months ago #
jonah tonto - Member

give it six more months of tory reign and we will be having the same questions asked about people.... " found an injured rider on the trail today, should i have taken him to hospital or do you think they would want paying?"

Posted 7 months ago #
kevj - Member

Cat-eye perspective. I've just been hit by a car/ truck and have major bone trauma. A stranger picks me up, stuffs me into a bag then bounces my cramped broken bones to the nearest vet. He then pays vet to kill me. Nice.

I know it's a hard to do but putting the poor thing out of its misery is the best thing to do.

Posted 7 months ago #
derek_starship - Member

I ain't squeamish elfin. I've shot hundreds of rabbits magpies woodpigeon pheasants etc. over the years. If I'd had the means to administer the coup de grace I would have. Believe me.

Posted 7 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

i would think hitting one over the head and killing it is most probably illegal!

Now why on Earth would you think that? Is there any actual law which forbids the humane killing of an animal in distress if the only other option is to let it suffer? Really? Care to point it out to us?

So as much as you might want to 'help' you may have no choice but just leave it.

That's just cowardly.

(love cats, anyone who smacks my cat is in deep trouble)

Don't be a dick. We're talking about the humane killing of an animal to end it's suffering, not animal cruelty. Stop trying to be an internet hardman.

Posted 7 months ago #
ernie_lynch - Member

Your story TenMen reminds of the simular one which involves a geezer hitting a dog whilst driving his car. In this story he uses a shovel he has in the boot of the car and whacks the injured dog across the head with it. The next day he's driving down the same road only to see the same dog with a big bandage in his head being walked by his owner.

Posted 7 months ago #
prettygreenparrot - Member

Leave it. It's someone's property. They'll be along sometime to claim it.

Posted 7 months ago #
oliverd1981 - Member

I'm not quite sure what the message is, but I think it's be careful in these situations

Posted 7 months ago #
sturmey - Member

We lost one of our cats a year ago, a guy round the corner found him in the gutter dead and couldn't leave him so took him home and wrapped him up and rang us as he had a collar on. If I had been in the situation I would take it to the vets and see if it had a chip so the owners could be contacted.

Posted 7 months ago #
schrickvr6 - Member

My brother ran over a cat three times, once accidentally and twice to put it out of it's misery, it survived that and was fine and a few days later had five kittens all of which were fine.

Internet hardman hat on but I'd be pissed if someone killed my cat and there was a chance of it being alright.

Posted 7 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

If I'd had the means to administer the coup de grace I would have. Believe me

What stopped you? Could you not have strangled it? Stamped on it's head? Horrible I know, but needs must.

Posted 7 months ago #
camo16 - Member

See, I don't carry cat dispatching equipment in my backpack. I could whack it with my 15mm spanner I suppose, but that would probably just p*ss it off more. Or I could try to strangle it with my bike lock, but that would be so long and painful it would classify as abuse. Maybe run it over?

To the 'I'd put it out of its misery' crew ^^^^: how would you do it?

Posted 7 months ago #
jon1973 - Member

The next day he's driving down the same road only to see the same dog with a big bandage in his head being walked by his owner.

That reminds me of the 'cow' scene from Me, Myself and Irene. "he shot the cow nine times, it's lucky to be alive."

Posted 7 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

To the 'I'd put it out of its misery' crew ^^^^: how would you do it?

Use a heavy object to stove it's head in, a sharp knife or similar to make a quick, deep cut to it's throat, or strangle it. Stick yer foot on the body, and pull the head up sharply, twisting it (will break it's neck and sever it's spinal column). A large animal like a big dog or deer or something is gonna be very tricky. If you can't, you can't but you should always try.

Posted 7 months ago #
sturmey - Member

Didn't realise so many vets frequented this site? Everyone's an expert on how terminal the animals injury is.

Posted 7 months ago #
sturmey - Member

If you can't, you can't but you should always try. I'll remember that if I ever meet you.

Posted 7 months ago #
ernie_lynch - Member

I'd stab it........you've got to do it nine times just to be sure.

Posted 7 months ago #
camo16 - Member

I'd stab it........you've got to do it nine times just to be sure.

With an allen key, or do you ride fully armed through the city streets?

Posted 7 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

If you can't, you can't but you should always try. I'll remember that if I ever meet you.

What you really should do, is try to get a sense of perspective before making a stupid emotional outburst against someone merely trying to give sensible advice.

Again, we're not advocating animal cruelty, quite the opposite. What do you have against the humane killing of animals?

Posted 7 months ago #
oliverd1981 - Member

We lost one of our cats a year ago, a guy round the corner found him in the gutter dead and couldn't leave him so took him home and wrapped him up and rang us as he had a collar on. If I had been in the situation I would take it to the vets and see if it had a chip so the owners could be contacted.

If you found a dead cat with a collar on you'd incur a vets bill to check it was dead/not committing identity fraud?

Posted 7 months ago #
cruzheckler - Member

anyone kills my cat and i will **** kill them - end of! Not a rambo comment, a fact. It has happened to a cat of mine bvefore and if i see the careless **** who hit him, 6 years on, i will stamp on his **** head!

Posted 7 months ago #
sturmey - Member

Your comment of " you should always try" Do you have the skills to identify if the animal has or has not a chance of survival? I know in some cases it would be obvious. If you cannot dispatch the animal quickly and humanely don't try you may prolong or even make the situation worse by increasing the suffering.

Posted 7 months ago #
camo16 - Member

cruzheckler - would you kill the driver who ran over the cat, or the cyclist who put it out of its misery?

Your response may well decide what I would do if I'm ever in derek_starship's position...

Posted 7 months ago #
cruzheckler - Member

the driver of the shit white escort

Posted 7 months ago #
sturmey - Member

oliver, the guy who found our cat did right, I was stating what I would do if I found an animal without a collar.

Posted 7 months ago #
Rusty Spanner - Member

Twitching in the road?
In Salford?

Katamine, for sure.

Sorry.

Posted 7 months ago #
rob2 - Member

At university I once found a dead black and white cat In the gutter on my street.

It looked like our neighbours cat. I told them and they were really upset. Went and showed them and they said its alright it's not our cat and walked off all happy.

Still feel sad for that cat. Nearly 20 yrs ago now!

Posted 7 months ago #