eBay

lambsy_uk · ‎30-08-2023

So what's the etiquette if you mow down a moggy in your car?

I saw someone being very scathing about a motorist the other day who "callously drove away leaving it there" They were so angry at the "level of some people's cruelty ".

So I was questioning if this really was evidence of cruelty and callousness; perhaps they just didn't know what to do.

So are you supposed to scrape it up and put it at the roadside, or carry around the nearby houses asking if it belongs to anyone? I'm not a pet owner myself so I'm perhaps not up to speed with current Road-Kill practices; can any offer advice?

sabe5994 · ‎30-08-2023

I'm not aware of any laws that state you have to do anything in these cases, but if it were me I would as a courtesy at least take it to a vet so they can check for the microchip and contact the owner. And obviously treat the cat ASAP.

It is the quickest way to find and inform the owner, most are microchipped as it is legally required.

victortardis · ‎30-08-2023

@lambsy_uk wrote:
So what's the etiquette if you mow down a moggy in your car?
I saw someone being very scathing about a motorist the other day who "callously drove away leaving it there" They were so angry at the "level of some people's cruelty ".

Anyone who leaves a dead or dying animal on the road deserves a good b eating.

lambsy_uk · ‎30-08-2023

So the question remains; what should you do?

I hit and killed a Rabbit a few years ago, I stopped and had a look confirming it was dead, so I left it where it was on the roadside. Did I deserve a beating for that?

*guinevere* · ‎31-08-2023

That is a different scenario. I don't think you can do much with a dead rabbit.

Nearly all cats these days are chipped, indeed it will be law pretty soon that they have to be chipped.

Someone will be missing a much loved pet.

As said by the other posters of course you should stop and see of you can help the poor animal, and take it to a vet if it is still alive.

The best advice is to not drive so fast in the first place that you don't run over innocent animals.

******************************************************************************************
Powered by cats

sabe5994 · ‎31-08-2023

The rabbit was likely a wild animal, so would not be missed or owned by anyone else. As long as it was definitely dead then you've done all you can in that case, short of calling the local council authorities to report a dead animal in the road, (this would be classed as roadkill). If it is still alive there are animal charities you can call that will come out and deal with it. (Such as the RSPCA emergency number.)

A pet though... although I admit I'm basing this purely on emotional reasoning, deserves a little more care. Someone could be left heartbroken/lonely and grieving over something that a vet could maybe fix if called in early enough. This would usually be of no cost to the driver, so it seems the decent thing to do.

If this isn't an option then again the RSPCA emergency line can help.

angrydrag0n · ‎31-08-2023

Theres always the odd post that drags me out of board retirement, and that title did it !!!

I would gently wrap the poor wee thing and take it to the nearest vet. The thing with cats (and some other animals) is that they can look very dead and appear not to be breathing as its so shallow. Left on the side of the road some later try and drag themselves home and die en route.

Swift vetinary action at the post impact stage gives them the best chance, a bit of fluid and meds can make the difference. If nothing else the vet can pts to stop further suffering and scan for the chip to notify the owner. There is nothing worse than not knowing what happened and where theyve gone. 😢

*guinevere* · ‎31-08-2023

I think it is the difference between being a decent person and not being a decent person.

My son's cat was recently run over and was found in a nearby field. He had dragged himself off the road and was trying to get home but his injuries were too far gone for him to make it.

My grandson was so upset it has given him separation anxiety now and he suffers from anxiety whenever he's away from his mum and dad.

I'm not saying this is the fault of the driver not stopping, maybe he did stop but the cat had run off. Or maybe the driver thought as it had run off it must be alright.

But it does tell you the immense hurt and anguish it causes when a beloved pet is killed, surely everyione can spare the time to stop and tend the poor thing?

******************************************************************************************
Powered by cats

messier44000 · ‎31-08-2023

This happened near where I live. Driver hit a cat that was instantly killed. Next driver along stopped and laid it down on the side, as the 1st driver kept going. I saw what was going on, and took it to the vet. Sadly there was no chip found.

Sort of keeping on subject, many years ago there was an old guy living in the village where I grew up as a child. His house had no electric or gas. Everything cooked on the log fire, and candles to find his way in the dark. He always moved road kills of any kind to one side. But if anything found was fresh enough, it went in the pan for dinner. BTW we are talking rabbits here and not cats. He also lived to be a grand age.

.
.
.
Astronomy is looking up

victortardis · ‎31-08-2023

@lambsy_uk wrote:
So the question remains; what should you do?

I hit and killed a Rabbit a few years ago, I stopped and had a look confirming it was dead, so I left it where it was on the roadside. Did I deserve a beating for that?

You sure it wasn't a cat.

The thread started with a question about what to do if a cat were to be hit, the cat now turns into an unfortunate rabbit.

Accidents involving dogs need to be reported by law, cats are either also included or are about to.

I have no idea about running over an endangered species like a white rhino in the UK, or a garden mouse, I thought the question was about someone's pet, but I assume it's all to do with an individual's morals.

Maybe it's just me, but I have rescued a couple of animals in my life and hope others would too if need be.

*knight-rider* · ‎04-09-2023

By law, your not obliged to report or do anything if you run over a cat, but a dog you have to.

As soon as i saw this thread, it bought the memory straight back to me, i even visualised it in my head. I`m going back about 30 years, maybe even more, but i ran one over in my van at the time, it just ran straight out in front of me. As a decent human being, i stopped and tried to help it, but as soon as i picked it up, i knew it was going. i can still remember it as well, i was holding it by both hands and within a minute or so, it just totally straightened out like a plank of wood and went, in that position, it was an horrible thing to see in all honesty.

i lay it gently by the side of the road and left. Back then, i probably wasn`t sure what else to do, but as an older human being now, i wish i`d buried it properly.

So i guess `etiquette` depends on what sort of person you are in the first place as to what you`d do. There are alot of people out there who`d run over and kill a human being and drive off, simply because they`ve had a drink or something, so i`m guessing those people can`t even spell the word etiquette, much less live by it.