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Sat 10 Jul, 2004 12:59 pm
Both of our girls, (calico, 9 years old; tabby, 8 years old) are strictly indoor cats. They love to sit in the window, breathe in the fresh air, watch birds--but they have NEVER attempted to go outside or dart past us when we're entering or leaving the house. BUT, there's always a possibility that one day one of them will muster some courage and attempt to experience the outdoors that they admire from the safety of the window....
Two days ago, my honey ran into the house after work searching for our tabby cat. He was in a panic. He knew our nieces and nephews were spending the day--running in and out of the house to play--and he was terrified that our tabby might have darted outside because he saw a dead tabby cat on the highway near our rural neighborhood.
We panicked and ran throughout the house calling for her. Both our cats HIDE when the kids come over to play--they can't tolerate the kids--and our tabby wouldn't come when we called.
We had to force ourselves to go look at the dead cat on the highway to ease our minds. It was a tabby cat--looked very much like ours--but was not ours.
We were relieved and sad at the same time. I called the highway department and asked them to remove the dead cat from the highway. It's in the left-turn lane that leads into our neighborhood and it is upsetting. The highway department refused to come out--stating it was their policy to "let nature take its course."
It distresses me to the nth degree that I have to view this poor pathetic dead animal laying out there. Both my man and I are sick to our stomachs--and it would be dangerous for us to be out there on the highway with a shovel and a trash bag to scoop this poor creature off the road and give it a proper burial. But that looks like what we're going to have to do....
Does anyone have any other suggestions other than just ignore it--we can't!!!
I always thought it was the highway departments job to take dead animals off the highway. I'd phone them back and tell them "it would be dangerous for us to be out there on the highway with a shovel and a trash bag to scoop this poor creature off the road" and ask them again to do it. Other then that, basically, you have to scoop it, or leave it, or at least move it off the highway so it doesn't keep getting ran over.
I feel your heartache Debra :-( I'm very surprised that the city refused to come and get the poor thing and I wish there was some advice I could give, but I really can't think of anything, since the kitty is on the highway. How many lanes are on the highway? Is it busy at night? Maybe you could go out there late at night when there's very little traffic. Bring a flashlight and move quickly. You could also keep calling the city and make a pest of yourself until they agree just to get you to stop calling them, but they'd probably just dump the cat in the woods somewhere.
This is very sad :-(
Did you find your Tabby?
My Tabby
Yes--we found our tabby. She's a good hider. With two adults and four kids searching every room, she was eventually smoked out of hiding.
My girls are not OLD cats by any means, but quirky. They didn't grow up around kids and as soon as they hear the commotion of giggling kids with grasping hands, you don't see much of them. My calico will often jump up onto the kitchen counter, then onto the top of the fridge, and then up on top of the cupboards and watch the commotion from the safety of her high perch. The kids KNOW they are NOT to chase my girls--they're supposed to leave them alone--but I always have to remind them every visit: "LEAVE the girls alone--they're afraid of you."
It's a busy four lane highway with traffic speeding by at 60+ mph. We live in a rural neighborhood just outside of the city limits so the city won't do anything. It might work to make a pest of myself. I will call the highway department again and beg them again to please come out.
I'm so glad you found your kitty. I've always had cats that went into hiding when kids were around as well. It always bothered me when kids chased my cats as they scare the hell out of them.
If it's a 4 lane busy highway, then obviously you can't do this yourself. I think calling the city again is your best bet. I know how you feel as I feel the same way when I see a dead cat on the road.
Call the Humane Society and report both the dead cat and the refusal of the HighWay Dept to pick up the corpse.
Step 1
I walked outside a few minutes ago to see why the birds were swooping around my livingroom window (they're building a nest under the eave).
I "smelled" the cat. It rained yesterday. It was very HOT today. And the breeze was the right direction. If this is the policy of my highway department to "let nature take its course," and stink up the entire neighborhood, I'm against it! Boy am I going to complain NOW.
I caught the neighbor man before he got in his house and complained to him. MAN (with strong stomach) TO THE RESCUE. I convinced him to walk out there with my shovel and he did. He walked across the frontage road, across the cement median, to the left-hand turn lane and scooped up the cat with a shovel--walked across two lanes of highway and threw the cat into the grassy ditch (that separates the other two lanes).
Step ONE (the dangerous part) is done. Later this evening, when the traffic lightens, I can take a walk with my spade, run across two lanes of highway, dig a hole in the ditch, and bury it. Poor cat.
I know this isn't a pleasant topic--but I'm really disgusted now that I didn't get help from my local government when I asked for help. Health hazard or what?
I live in a city and I called the city wild animal people about a dead skunk in my yard. They wanted 75 bucks to come get it. Pffft.
DL: I feel for you....... I can remember when my grandchildren were here, my two cats just went into hiding and we could not see hide nor hair of them for days. My little grandson age 18 mos. just wanted to play with my tabby, but my tabby was afraid of him, so no go. Kids don't understand that, neither do cats.
In my area the animal control officer takes care of these things. I know one person who used to work for that office and part of his job was to remove dead animals from the road. Maybe it is different on the highways as it would be dangerous for them also.
I hope the unfortunate cat is buried by now, Debra. Poor thing.
littlek wrote:I live in a city and I called the city wild animal people about a dead skunk in my yard. They wanted 75 bucks to come get it. Pffft.
Put it in a heavy-duty plastic mailing bag with a check for 75 bucks and post it to them....
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