Why do people have to report running over dogs but not cats?

Question

It hurts just as much for the owner. I know the reason why the law was created in the first place but why don't they change it? I just found out that my cat was hit by a car last night and the idiot just left it! Why would anyone do that? Does he have no compassion? She was 6 months old and had just started going outside. Ours is a quiet road so i thought she was safe!
I think the law should be changed, does anyone agree with me?

Answer 1

Outdoor cats at the end of the day are a nuisance. They do their ‘business’ in other peoples gardens and are a serious health risk, who has to clear that muck up? The house owner, are we calling for the banning of outdoor cats? It’d never happen.

Does anyone think of the pregnant woman and her child’s health, which is far more valuable than a cat? No.

Cats outdoors –are- going to be run over, it isn’t rocket science, cats have no ‘training’, cats just dart out over roads, rest under cars, and scratch the bonnet up. Can I come knocking at a cat owners door when this happens and hand them the bill for my bonnet? No. Wasn’t their fault.
Dogs aren’t creatures that are left to run out on the street, and most owners do everything in their power to prevent this from happening, for their dogs welfare and other peoples, it is about time cat owners had to do the same.

You can call me heartless, though you have my uptmost comisserations for the loss of that cat, no one likes to lose a pet, but at the end of the day it was preventable.

Answer 2

I was just considering this the other day when a cat darted out in front of my car. ( I didn't hit it ) Dogs are supposed to be leashed, and most of the time they are roaming, they have collars and ID tags. They should not be roaming at all.

I have rarely, if ever, seen a cat outdoors with a collar. Since cats roam good distances, ( and not just on your "quiet" road ) the odds of you finding the owner without knocking on every door in the neighborhood is slim. Even then, it may have just been a stray with no home in the first place.

I'm sorry that you had to suffer such a loss. Losing a pet is a horrible thing.

Laws should be changed, and there should be a cat leash law as well as dogs. Anyone who gardens cat poop and has the local kitty toilet, feeds birds, or listened to a female in heat at 3am knows why..and there are cat leash laws being passed in many places. I couldn't open my windows or sit outside last summer because the neighborhood cats were using my garden and the smell was disgusting. If there was a law, they would have identifying collars, too.

Not everyone stops when they hit animals, either, regardless of what it is. Sometimes people don't even know they hit them, or are angry that the animals were running loose. My ex-husband was run over, and that person didn't stop.... for a human!

Answer 3

I totally agree, at the end of the day something/someone has suffered, it doesn't matter who or what it was. We've all come from somewhere, and no matter who is hurt, theyre not the only one. 99% have friends and family that will the pain too. As an owner of 3 cats, I live in a safe road. People should watch how fast they drive. Sometimes my youngest cat Max likes to roll around in the road, stupid but true. Accidents can be avoided depending on the speed the driver is travelling at. It isn't asking much to be careful. If your pet or friend or family member was hit by a car, would you not want the person to come forward and say 'sorry for your loss, an accident'? I would. It shows respect and that your truly sorry. Its the mature and right thing to do.

Anyhow,
Thanks for bringing this up. I'm sorry for your loss, give her a nice little funeral.

Take Care

PS: Nana, outdoor cats do not have a lifespan of 8 if theyre lucky! I have three cats one who is nearly 15, one 9 and one 5. I've had them since they were kittens and theyre all outdoor cats.

Answer 4

I am so very sorry to hear about your cat. I do not know what the driver should or could have done for the cat though. I have twice seen cats hit because from nowhere it ran to the moving car. One I saw run from beside a tree and at the car wheels the driver would not have seen it. Then it ran off, but it was hurt. I was a passenger when I saw this, another again unseen on the pavement lept from the side of the road at the car it flew over the bonnet and sadly was hit as it reached the ground on the other side.. Both of these accidents happened at night.
The driver was in shock and made desparate calls to the police and the RSPCA.

Yes I think there should be some sort of provision for those drivers who have this kind of accident.

Answer 5

It's primarily because dogs were classified as working animals back when farming was a much more common occupation, and therefore the loss of one could have a serious knock-on impact to someone's livelihood, particularly if they were sheep-farmers. Whereas the farm cat was neither trained nor licenced and it's only (albeit vital) function was to control the rats, and any cat can do that.

The law used to use the acronym DG CHAMPS which says that only these animals needed to be reported: Dogs, Goats, Cattle, Horses, Mules, Pigs, Sheep

So, sadly, cats aren't sufficiently significant in terms of the law, even if they are one of your best friends.

Check this out: Road Traffic Act, Section 170

Mind you, if the mean person didn't stop for your cat, I doubt they'd have stopped for anything else either. I got out of the car the other day to check I'd not flattened a hedgehog - fortunately not...

Answer 6

Unfortunately the law goes back to when dogs were licenced (they aren't any more). Cats are wanderers, it's in their nature, it is cruel to keep a cat indoors unless you can provide it with plenty stimulation. It is so difficult to train a cat not to go on the road, I don't think it would be possible but I'm a dog owner and never had a cat although I would love one. Another problem would be tracing the owner of a cat, they can wander for miles and don't usualy wear ID like a dog. It's a tricky problem and not one that could be answered by a change in the law.
So sorry about your kitten.

Answer 7

The loss of any pet is very sad for the owner but it's not usually the driver's fault and if the animal has been allowed to roam free then it is liable to be run over. Indeed some cats seem to have a positive death wish and enjoy running in front of cars, presumably hoping that the driver will brake/turn too hard and crash.

The law is probably based on old fashioned sexist principles. Laws are made by professional people, mainly men, whereas only old women and megalomaniac villains in Bond films like cats.

Answer 8

Aww i am so so sorry for you. I have had 4 cats killed on roads and not once did anyone stop to tell us.
I have unfortuantly killed a cat myself, it ran out of somw bushes on the side of a road and i had no chance of stopping. i couldnt tell the owner because there was no collar. I knocked on a few doors and even asked in the local pub but no one knew whos it was.
I called the rspca for them to fetch it but was told leave it on the side of the road and call waste disposal! i was devastated. I got a box from the local pub put the cat in it with my jumper and over her and buried her myself!
I believe the reason you dont have to report it is because cats are classed as free spirits as they can go for days without coming home and will go to whoever feeds them, they have no loyalty, where as a dog is solely the responsibility of their owner, they are not allowed out by themselves and so therefore often the reason for reporting the fact you have hit a dog is not just to inform the owners, but to have them done for causing the accident, because i they were looking after the dog in the way the law states it shouldnt have been able to cause an accident that could result in a human being injured.
But i agree with you! the law should be changed, i wont have any more cats because of the heart ache of finding them injured or worse!

Answer 9

Oh you poor thing ,poor kitty as well.I totally agree with you ,as a cat owner in this area the law is wrong ,it should be the same law for cats as it is for dogs.
Twinkle my daughters cat went missing now about 4 months ago ,we have no idea if she has been hurt ,injured ,or alas gone to kitty heaven.,or is safely sitting next to someone elses fire .
At least with dog owners ,they have the option of calling .A) The police, B)The dog pound.C)RSPCA.
When are feline pets go astray we just search any place we think of and put adverts around in hopes someone has any news .Then wait to see if they return,also its there nature to go out alone ,its there instinct,so as owners we should have some law put into place,dogs and cats are some peoples life ,so YES change the law .

Answer 10

The law couldn't really be changed, but any decent person should stop and at least try to help. Once a cat ran out from a driveway straight into my car door, I stopped and took it straight to the vet, promising to pay if I couldn't find the owner. It would definately have died if I'd left it. The cat was saved, I found the owner, and she got me a big bunch of flowers - just for helping. I always feel terrible if I see dead cats, as I know someone will be suffering. Wild animals is sad too, but at least no one is missing them. You could try putting a reflective collar on the next one - it really does help.