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

Most likely if he was able to run away, he could run home - I would think that would be the dog's instinct to go home for help and comfort.

That is very comforting Linkat - it's my hope. Thanks

i'd keep going.

Last night I was driving through a neighborhood when i heard a woman yell out. Her cat had ran out and went right under my tire. I just saw a blur and heard a thump, didnt have time to do anything. I stopped, the cat had left the road and went into some bushes. I tried to talk to the lady and said how sorry I was but she didnt respond to me at all. I got into my car and left. Did I do the right thing? I could tell she was mad and upset and I felt I had nothing more to offer. There was nothing I could do to avoid it.

That's a tough situation, not a lot that feels "right" but I don't think you did anything wrong, for what it's worth.

I kind of agree - you didn't mean it, you stopped and tried to help and it is tough for us to judge as we weren't there so although I might say I would have tried to talk with her some more, make sure the lady was ok and see if I could help her get her cat and bring them to a vet. But again I don't want to judge as I wasn't there and can't fulling understand the situation.

You did more than many have and you did try - I'll give you cudos for that.

one of my friends parents was driving one day and hit a rottweiler, a skinny type.

we watched him keep going from like 1 block away.

i went over there to help it out, so sad.

he was in his throes of death, and he made it quite clear he wasnt going out quietly. i hated it but i had to stroke his face head and neck. he quieted down after about a minute and slowly left this world. whole ordeal lasted about 15 minutes. i picked himup and carried him to the sidewalk and some neighbhors called animal control.

people who drive off, i spit on you.

HOORAY! lol!

I agree.I would react in such a weird way.1.I would take it to my place and lay it down.2.I would take a pic so I could put it in the paper to see if anyone lost their pet.3.Pray about it and hopefully someone would reply.4.If not then I would bury it in my front/backyard.

~Tatiana

Thank God I thought to try to find a place on the internet that maybe might be able to help me deal with what happened several days ago! I recently ran over a cat and it was a very traumatic experience. I'm surprised how much this has affected me. It was gut wrenching to go through something like that. I realize there are a lot of people that don't think it's any big deal. but because my animals means so very much to me, I knew that somewhere someone really loved that cat! and in the span of a couple seconds- its life was suddenly over!

I happened to be going down an unfamiliar neighborhood street when it happened. A gorgeous fluffy cat ran across the street and at first I thought ' oh, thank God I didn't hit it!' But then suddenly- out of no where - another cat just like it came dashing out, chasing the other cat. I felt the front tires hit it , and hit it hard! Lord, it was such a horrible jolt/sound - because I really did everything I could to try to avoid hitting it. I think I went into shock after that.

I remember looking in the rear-view mirror - hoping that the cat would simply run off like nothing was wrong- but denial couldnt help me. The cat was in the middle of the street, violently flailing around with his front legs for a few seconds - and then it just stopped. I realized the cat was obviously dead. I felt such a huge sense of relief and grateful that it didn't have to suffer any longer.

I jumped out of the car and just basically went bezerk. I just screamed out loud, "does anybody know who this cat belongs to?" I went back to check the cats status - its face had taken the brunt of the hit - so it's likely that it was instantaneously killed. Then two young boys came down on their scooters to see what had happened - but they didnt know who the cat belonged to. It occurred to me that it was a pretty disturbing sight for such young boys- so I told then they probably needed to go home. A neighbor man poked his head out of his house and pointed where the cat lived - which was the house directly beside my car.

the man didn't offer to help me, so I figured out a way to put the cat on a large piece of cardboard and then dragged it over to the cat owners house. I remember hysterically crying all the way as I took the cat to the back of the drive way. I just kept wondering why people let their cats go out into dangerous streets like that?!

Long story short, I did leave a note explaining what had happened to the cat and mentioned how sorry I was. I wanted to plead with them not to ever let their other cat outside again so it wouldn't die a horrible death also, but I didn't. I realized it would probably be hard enough as it was.

I've really had a hard time trying to get this experience out of my mind. I told a few people in my family and a few other people as well, but I still just can't seem to let it go. Maybe I'm too sentimental, but I just I feel so bad! Because my two dogs mean everything to me & I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for the people that lost their cat to the streets. But it also seemed so senseless and completely preventable. So I guess you could say I really have mixed feelings about
this thing - I feel really sorry for the owners of the cat but yet I also blame them! It just didn't have to happen! In fact, it could have caused a bad wreck not to mention the pain and suffering the animal had to go through.

I am NOT a cat person, but I do wonder, why do people leave their cats outside? Why ? Cats are at such a high risk for being harmed or hit by a car- so why don't owners of cats understand that?

Now that this thread has been revived, I have a question to add to the mix.

What if you see a wild animal, like a squirrel, who's been hit by a car, and it convulsing around on the road, clearly on the way to death?

I've had that happen in the past, and had it happen to me just last week.

I was coming around a curve in my neighborhood, and there was the squirrel. On was right on top of it on the curve, so passed it quickly.

It upset me so much, thinking of it in pain. I turned around, drove passed it again from the other direction, then turned to get back in the correct lane and ran it over quickly to put it out of it's misery.

It was hard to do, but I don't regret it.

I don't know what I would do in that case. I have a hard enough time if I run something over that is already dead. The idea of the body being squished by my tires - yeck. But then again like you said - you don't want to it suffer.

And good for you - you should feel better that you brought the cat home - there was nothing else you could do. I've read about so many hit and runs (with people and children) - that it is refreshing to hear about someone so kind hearted that they do what they can for a little creature. I have had both cats and dogs - I wouldn't let my cats out they were always indoor cats. I think some people think it is cruel to keep their cats indoors.

Thanks linkat, that made me feel better.
I didn't want anyone to think I was some sicko...It just bothered me seeing it suffer.


On a somewhat related subject...

what's up with pigeons and doves?

They stand around in the road and you get right on top of them before you move. Now I know when I get a certain distance from them to beep my horn, and they fly off.

Weirdest thing though, I never see pigeon or dove bodies in the street. It's like they've got some mysterious power to get out of the way long after you think you should have hit them.

It's like black magic or something.

Well, knowing feline nature to the extent that I do,
I 'm pretty sure that he 'd either abandon the victim or eat him.



I 'd probably handle it a lot like if he were human.
Something similar to this has already happened to me 2ice,
1ce with a pussy cat and 1ce with a long tortoise; (his neck was about 14 inches).

In another century, about midnite, as I was returning home from my girlfriend's house,
a white pussy cat ran perpendicularly in front of my car.
He crossed into the opposing lane of traffic and he got hit in the head
with a car going the other way, which left. I parked to illuminate the scene
with my headlites and I approached the fallen pussy cat, who was lain
on the double yellow lines. He recovered consciousness; he looked a little groggy to me,
as I stood on the double yellow lines trying to organize my strategy. While so engaged,
the police arrived, presumably wondering Y this guy is standing in the middle of the street
in the middle of the nite. I beckoned for the police to approach n pointed out our casualty.
The police officer put on gloves and removed him from the road.
The situation with the long-necked tortoise was similar.
In Upstate NY, I came upon the said tortoise, who was standing on the double yellow lines.
I parked my car, approached him, and I picked him up by the rear of his shell
to be out of reach of his mouth. I believe that he suspected me of ulterior motives,
(judging from the fact that he was trying to bite me; I do not claim to have powers of turtle telepathy).
I escorted him to a wet irrigation ditch at the side of the road, in a farmer's field.
He had been headed in that direction.





David

You did all you could so don't be so hard on yourself. I have had cats and they were indoor cats.
I would and have done what you did, put it out of its misery.

Probably use the Earth as a backstop and shoot him, out of mercy.

Well just make sure there isn't a gas line where you shoot

If the victim is a starfish,
then the problem shud be less severe to him.

Haven't you heard - we have an agreement...

JERRY: You ran over some pigeons? How many?

GEORGE: What ever they had. Miranda thinks I'm a butcher but i-i-it's not my fault is it? Don't we have a deal with the pigeons?

JERRY: Course we have a deal. They get out of the way of our cars, we look the other way on the statue defecation.

GEORGE: Right! And these pigeons broke the deal. I will not accept the blame for this!

So wrong to keep going. That little creature was a living being. Somebody's pet who is like a child to them. Never drive away.
Would you drive away from a human being. A child. Your own pet?.
The owner needs ti know where their pet is. It's a worry to the owner if something has happened to their pet.