What would you do if you hit a cat/dog?

For quite a while, on the Rome-Hilliard Road on the southern edge of Hilliard, Ohio, there was a mating pair of Canada geese who seemed to prefer to nest behind the dumpster at a 7-11 on the east side of the road. On the west side, there is a shopping center, strip mall variety, anchored by a Kroger super market. Part of the attractive landscaping is a large pond on the northwest corner of the intersection. Every year, in the spring, the gander and the goose would lead their goslings across the road from the nesting site to the pond in the early morning, and then lead them back to the nesting site in the evening.

I don't know if they still do it, but for years, heavy rush hour traffic would screech to a halt morning and evening, and wait as the family sedately waddled over the four lanes of highway.

Wonderful.

Just noticed this thread, hadda take a look. Pretty rough for me to read through it tonight ... real close to home ... but I'm glad I did.

Gotcha.

A couple weeks ago I blocked off two lanes with my Jeep to usher a duck and her ducklings across the street and had fun flipping off all the people honking at me.

Good for you, sublime.

I was right behind Jow blowing my horn. As soon as he moved his Jeep I got out of my car and shot those ducks.

Some time ago, one of my sister's cats was hit and killed not far away from home. My 13 year old nephew found little Tiger. He was very, very upset.

When I was about that age, our dog was hit by car and somebody called my parents. They picked her up, we took her to the vet and she later died in my arms. It was very hard for me but at the same time I was glad she didn't have to die alone in the street...

When I hit a dog, I log it into my road journal as "50 points." After hitting a cat, "75 points."

I hit a gopher once going down a steep hill on a curve with nothing on the passenger side of the car but air and both my young sons in the car. There was a transport truck on my back bumper. I didn't stop. Neither of my sons has ever let me forget it....

I passed a sign on my way to work offering $1000 for information leading to the return of the owners cat. I told this to my students who said they would offer a reward like that if their pets were missing.

More compassion towards animals than humans
I don't mean to think less of human life than animals on purpose but I can't help it. If I hear about 50 soldiers dying in Iraq, I go on eating and partying as if I only heard the weather forecast. Doesn't affect me a bit. But if I hear about a cat or other pet getting killed, it shakes me up for days. Go figure.

If I got into an argument with a cat, I wouldn't hit it. Cats can be pretty sharp. Its not worth it.

The best thing to do, if you are loosing an argument with a cat, say over a saucer of milk or something really important, is pretend its not important. Walk away and wash behind the ears.

Then whistle nonchalantly (cats hate that) just before you whack it with a broom handle. (they hate that more still).

Most cats are open to reason in this way.

I just hit a cat tonight. I was in tears and I turned around and got it. It was still alive but barely. It died in my car on the way to the vet. I did the right thing. It had a collar but no tags and no microchip. Pet owners need to keep their cats indoors. Please always go back to get the animal - it could still be suffering.

The saddest missing pet sign I've ever seen concerned neither a cat nor a dog, but a hamster. The sign said something like: "Missing--small brown hamster with a white strip around the side," "Lost on such-and-such day," etc. And then came the kicker: "Still in hamster ball."

I was tempted to laugh at first, but then I realized that a hamster wandering around town in a hamster ball can't access any food or drink. What a horrible way to go.

I hit a dog in September of last year. It was the first time I have ever hit one. I was rounding a corner in my neighborhood and suddenly there he was all smiles and ears. I slammed the breaks and swerved and thud. It was horrible - I was hysterical myself. I was crying and pulled over the car...ran to the woods where I saw him run and looked and looked - but I could not find him. I checked that area every day looking for posters for a lost smiley big eared dog. Bothered me so much that I couldn't let his owners know that I hit him. I was so afraid he went to the woods to die and he would never be seen again.

I comforted myself with the hope that maybe...just maybe he managed to get home without any serious injuries....that was my prayer anyway. Poor puppy. Horrible experience.

Had he been hurt and still laying there I would have done my best to get him to the vet. And I may have even put up posters to have people call me. The same with a kitty.

I almost rolled my car trying to avoid hitting a raccoon one night. It is instinct. My Dad told me to hit it and not risk killing myself or other people. I can see where he is right - but how do you control that kind of instinctive reaction to miss an animal?

egads...that is bad Shapeless

I would never hit a dog. Or a cat. One might have a jolly good row, but there is never any need for fisticuffs.

If I hit a dog, some shaggy neighborhood mascot, I would back up to the shady place where he had dragged himself and, upon determining the coast was clear, I would hop out of my car, quickly twist his neck, putting him out of his misery, and throw him in the trunk.

I would have to store the corpse in the bathtub and cook lamb shanks that night to cover up the smell.

When night came and my beloved was fast asleep, I would quietly rise, sling the still slightly warm dog corpse over my shoulder, and slink out to the backyard. There I would feverishly dig his final resting place, sweating and crying in the rain.

Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't imagine - I would feel so bad if I hit a pet. I nearly got in an accident trying to avoid hitting a bunny.