My boy Tango got hit by a car this morning. It is believed the driver was speeding. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 you are not required to report if you've hit a cat, nor are you required to report it to the Police. My boy was in pain, he had a broken spine, 2 broken legs, ruptured bladder and bowel, cuts everywhere. Thats just the injuries that we know of. They drove away why my boy tried coming home. He couldnt make it back home and hid under a bush, our neighbour informed us, what he had witnessed&where he is without them. We of not know. He was my enitre world. He made me smile laugh cry and be happy  he had the capacity to feel emotions. He felt love. He felt pain. The vet confirmed he was in agony, he was yelling (an extreme meow) in pain. He had also poo and wee himself. He was left to die alone scared in pain. He ended up getting put down at the vets but many cats don't get that option and get left to die by themselves. Most people wouldn't leave a human or a dog like that so why is it acceptable for cats to suffer in this way?

Many of us have lost cats to the road or have hurt an animal in a traffic accident. It's heart breaking for anyone involved, but do you know what the law is regarding road traffic accidents & cats? 

Currently there is no law that requires you to stop after hitting a cat on the road. The road traffic act 1988 states that legally, you must report hitting the following animals to the police. This applies whether the animal is dead or injured.

▪ Dogs

▪ Horses

▪ Cattle

▪ Pigs

▪ Goats

▪ Sheep

No one wants to think about hitting someone’s pet. Legally you have to report a dog if you hit it. Unfortunately though, cats don’t have to be reported. But the decent thing to do is to try and reach the owner of the animal.

Surprisingly, only 25% of cats hit in a road traffic accident are killed, so there’s a good chance that the cat will be okay after seeing a vet and receiving treatment. Failing to stop could result in the cat from suffering for longer and perhaps never making it back to their owners. Do the right thing, stop the car and do your best to help.

The cat will be very scared and probably experiencing a high level of pain.

Call the closest vet and tell them you are on the way. Remember, you will not have to pay the vet when you take in an injured or deceased pet. Even if the cat has passed away, The vet can check for a microchip and find the owner that way. If the cat is sadly killed, the vet can keep the pet in cold storage until the owner has been found.

If you’re unable to go to an out of hours emergency vet you can contact the RSPCA. The RSPCA can perform roadside microchip scanning if necessary.

I hope his death can make a difference.

Because my heart will never recover from this. He was like my child. If you wouldn't treat a child this way, why should any animal be treated the same way? Animals have the capability to feel emotions and pain&any animal who can and does should be reported.