not talking about swerving, endangering others etc. Just having the decency to at least check the animal you hit and put it to the side of the road so it doesn’t get ground into the surface. On a motorway i can understand, but on suburban roads?

Although to be honest if you the driver hit something, you are responsible for sorting out your mess. I guess it is like so many things, want the benefits but without the responsibilites that go with it.

I disagree mrmo – the pet owner should be responsible for their pets. Sorry to paraphrase but: pet owners want the benefits of having a pet but without the responsibilities that go with it.

I disagree mrmo – the pet owner should be responsible for their pets. Sorry to paraphrase but: pet owners want the benefits of having a pet but without the responsibilities that go with it.

+1

Cats are more difficult to control than dogs though it has to be said. I can keep my dog on a lead around roads. I have little sympathy with some of the owners I see who never put their dog on a lead, and insist that their dog is so well behaved they don’t need to be on one – all it takes is for a dog to see a cat, squirrel or something and they’re off.

I think it’s fairly rare for a car driver to intentionally kill a pet really, and most would feel pretty bad if they didn’t see an animal or an animal ran out in front of them and they couldn’t stop in time.

30mph means jack all even if cars are sticking to a limit, you hit a cat at 30mph you will probably kill it.

IANAL but someone told me that dogs are considered fully domesticated and you should report it to the police if you hit one, but cats are considered wild and you don’t have to (although it may be polite and nice to do so).

The level of criticism offered on here for suggesting that the owner of an animal might bear some responsibility for what happens to their pet if they allow it to roam freely shows just how loving and caring cat owners are.

If you’re that invested in the wellbeing of your little furry friend then try to help society at large by not letting it play on the road FFS. (This wee rule can also apply to the owners of children, dogs, horses, hamsters etc. etc. although they seem to need reminding less frequently than cat owners).

I think it’s fairly rare for a car driver to intentionally kill a pet really

I doubt it’s quite as rare as I’m sure you’d like to think it is, going by my experience and what I have witnessed.

If the cat is on a lead then its unlikely to wander into the road and get run over.
If you don’t want your cat to be in danger of getting run over dont let it go in the road, it’s quite simple.

Was once in a minibus with the Judo club when we hit a dog that ran into the road in front of us. Not sure what scared it more, being hit by a Transit or 10 blokes jumping out and chasing after it! Never got close as it legged it off through the park at high speed.

Many animals will run off initially, operating on the enormous dose of adrenaline before holing up somewhere quiet or dragging themselves home. Not always easy to find them after if they do run off. However it would be nice if everyone at least stopped to check if they thought they had hit something.

I killed a kitten last year in my car… It was completely unavoidable. I have never felt so bad, truly horrible 🙁

Just claiming on shifters insurance as he drove into the back of my car….

I had to stop quickly for something in the road. I suppose I could have hit it but I was paying attention and could stop in time. Unfortunately he was travelling to close to stop for some reason….

How is accidentally hitting a pet dog / cat / rabbit and not stopping, different from hitting a wild fox / badger / rabbit and not doing so? I’m sure that the dying pet doesn’t have moral outrage that they are a different class of animal and should be saved. I’m also sure that a dog and a fox both feel pain.
Who decides what animals are worth trying to save or not, is a Labrador worth saving more than a Pitbull?

I’d stop and try to indentify the owner of any livestock or pet I hit. Especially a tasty one. Cue Mitchell and Webb video. Nearly got a lamb yesterday.

Can’t say I’d be particularly comfortable about banging on doors trying to find the owner of a squished moggy though, even if it wasn’t my fault, as chances are I’d be the undeserving target of their misdirected emotional response.

as chances are I’d be the undeserving target of their misdirected emotional response.

I would suggest opposite, ie it is very unlikely that you would be to be the target of their misdirected emotional response. In fact the chances are that they would be very grateful that you had bothered to stop and informed them of what had happened.

If you don’t want your cat to be in danger of getting run over dont let it go in the road, it’s quite simple.

Quite.

A friend hit a cat on the A55 at 70+ mph. It turns out a cat can do a surprising amount of damage to a Vauxhaul Astra at that speed, and had the road been busier, it could have resulted in a very nasty accident.

But, of course, Tiddles is well behaved and never goes far 🙄

I guess the dice would roll as I walked up the driveway. Quick calculation based on the number of sofas/trampolines/empty Stella can in the front garden plus the size of the gathering mob is always a handy guide though.

Ah I see, you’re a self-appointed judge of other people’s characters, despite the fact that you might never have met them.

Do you often drive through areas where the lower classes live btw ?

I am Paul Dacre and I claim your outraged 50p.

Ah I see, you’re a self-appointed judge of other people’s characters, despite the fact that you might never have met them.

So we’ve met then?

I’m sorry, I thought it was you who felt outraged by pet owners who have trampolines.

Careful of the “gathering mobs” when you drive through poor areas.

Careful of the “gathering mobs” when you drive through poor areas.

I often find that comfy middle-class liberal left forums are the worst for that kind of thing.

Ah bless, you’re worried about both lower and middle class “gathering mobs”.

You stick to posh company where you feel nice and safe.

Go Ernie, class warrior for poor pet owners. 😀

Driving home last night after a 250 mile trip I was bimbling along the dark lanes close to home only to round a corner and find a large cow and two calves standing in the road. A neighbour was trying to open the nearest gate to get them off the lane (it’s a link road between villages and can be a bit of a racetrack).

I was amazed at the number of drivers who either spooked the cows by driving at them to get past or weaved in an out of them, all a bit dim when my van and Pat’s car were either side of the animals/gates with hazards on.

It made getting them all back in a field a bit difficult which we did and then called a friend who may know whose they were. Hitting a fully grown Fresian at 40mph may need more than t-cut!

Anyway, to rephrase after a bit of class warfare fun, I’d always knock on doors to find an owner, but not without a bit of nervousness, as you just can’t predict how people react when in shock. I wouldn’t condemn anyone who felt too scared to do that (and didn’t know about other ways to identify (chips etc).

EDIT Rogerthecat 🙂

Rogerthecat

I’m not sure that would help, unless you’d only given it a glancing blow

a glancing blow

That would only work on approximately 50% of cats, so it’s probably a wise precaution.

rogerthecat – Member

Go Ernie, class warrior for poor pet owners.

I’m fairly sure that it wasn’t me who said : ” Quick calculation based on the number of sofas/trampolines/empty Stella can in the front garden plus the size of the gathering mob”

It wouldn’t occur to me on a thread about road fatalities involving cats to mention the social standing of a neighbourhood.

But perhaps you know better rogerthecat and it was me who mentioned it ?

A friend hit a cat on the A55 at 70+ mph. It turns out a cat can do a surprising amount of damage to a Vauxhaul Astra at that speed, and had the road been busier, it could have resulted in a very nasty accident.

seen what a full grown red deer does to a car? I only saw the aftermath, oh and the deer still in the middle of the road surrounded by bits of car! The driver would, going by the mess, had no windscreen, defective bumper, fluid leaks, but rather than move the carcass they appear to have reversed, then driven round it?

I think we all know the correct thing to do in this particular case. If you dont, then you have probably been tainted with a complete stick. DONT even get me started please.

But perhaps you know better rogerthecat and it was me who mentioned it ?

Well, I’ll keep the right end of the stick and you can have the other one, eh? The social standing was intimated by the list from Martinhutch, but I was referring to this post:

ernie_lynch – Member
Ah bless, you’re worried about both lower and middle class “gathering mobs”.
You stick to posh company where you feel nice and safe.

But hey, let’s ignore that if it gives you a reason to pick another argument where there was none to begin with. 😀

Our cat was hit on saturday morning, saw it happen as i was in the garden at the time, hell of a bang as the bumper hit him but when i ran to the front of the car there was no sign of him. spent all day searching gardens and back yards, knocked on every neighbours door but to no avail.

It was no fault of the driver, crack in the front of the bumper, fur attached and blood on the road bot no trail of blood to follow once he had reached the hedge. I thouht that was the last i’d seen of him.

Yesterday he walked back into the kitchen screaming his head off for food as if he had never been away! 😯 still covered in blood and his left ear full of it too. Trip to the vets and an x-ray but nothing to see!

think he used up 8 0f his 9 on that one!

I don’t know wtf you’re on about rogerthecat. Whether the owner has a sofa in their front garden, or a carefully manicured lawn, it doesn’t make one iota of difference to my attitude with regards to hitting someone’s pet, and I couldn’t give a toss if the pet owner is potless, a multimillionaire, or comfortable middle class. To claim this makes me a “class warrior” as you have done is rather bizarre to say the least.

.

Yesterday he walked back into the kitchen screaming his head off for food as if he had never been away!

Made me chuckle and whilst it’s clearly quite remarkable not really entirely surprising for a cat 🙂

My dad told me that when he was a kid they had one of the first cars in the village. One day they when to town as a family. A dog walker was heading home along the road with the dog on a lead. As my Grandads car drove past, the dog ran in front of the car and the poor thing got run over and killed. Probably happened because it had never seen a car.
Just reminds me to be very weary of animals everything whilst driving/riding.

Ernie – I really find it hard to care if you do, but you do seem able to start a fight in an empty room by deliberately, or otherwise, misinterpreting something quite simple. 😀

Twas not I who mentioned sofas or any other items in gardens but don’t let that put you off having a grumble.

<mod>
I think that’s enough now. Cool your jets, you two.
</mod>

I thought you were banned?

Twas not I who mentioned sofas or any other items in gardens but don’t let that put you off having a grumble.

I’m aware of that. You decided to wade in. Wade in with some bizarre comment with regards to me being “class warrior for poor pet owners”. I’m not “grumbling” about it, simply pointing out how I couldn’t give a toss if the owner is rich or poor and how ridiculous that comment is.

And you’ll be pleased to hear that I’m perfectly cool about everything Cougar. What’s your opinion concerning what pet owners keep in their front gardens btw ? Any particular opinion about pet owners who have trampolines ? Would you stop and tell them that you’ve injured their cat ? Or do trampoline owning cat lovers frighten you a little ?

Equally chilled here Cougar, but thanks for the concern. 😀

I thought you were banned?

a) it was a self-imposed ban which I should probably dodge for mod duties and,

b) it’s just run out.

onto the road?

you’ll be pleased to hear that I’m perfectly cool about everything Cougar. What’s your opinion

<mod>
Good. Stop arguing then.

I think my opinion on these matters is fairly well defined, not least of all on this very thread. I don’t care who started the irrelevant ‘class war’ argument, it’s finishing here. Play nicely.
</mod>

onto the road?

Very good. (-:

I think my opinion on these matters is fairly well defined, not least of all on this very thread.

I have absolutely no idea what your opinions are concerning cat owners with sofas in their front garden. Have you got one ?