230,000 cats in the UK are run over every year. If you unfortunately have found yourself in this solution, keep calm and read our 8 steps to take when you hit a cat in the road.
STOP
- Stop safely and do your best to help the cat. 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.
- If the cat is alive but injured, try to assist the cat and get them ready to go to the vets. The cat will be very scared and probably experiencing a high level of pain. Stay calm, use a quiet comforting voice and be gentle with your movements.
HELP
- Use a towel or blanket if you have one to hand and pick up the cat using one hand underneath the chin and the other under the hind quarters. If you have a box or crate place the cat inside for the journey.
- Call the closest emergency 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.
REPORT
- If the cat is alive call the Police, advise drivers to try to find the owner of the pet and let them know what’s happened. Try knocking on the doors in the local area where the accident occurred and head onto Facebook and share on local pet groups. There are also lost and found groups and websites that may help you to locate the owner.
- 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 is located. You won’t be asked to pay for the treatment given or for the deceased animal.
- If you’re unable to go to the 24 hour emergency vet you could try asking a friend to help or contacting the RSPCA. The RSPCA can perform roadside microchip scanning if necessary.
- The very last resort is to contact the council but please note that many councils take the pets to landfill and they don’t perform microchip scans.
Our friends over at Cats Matter have been kind enough to share this very useful information to ensure the best steps are taken when a cat is involved in an accident on the road. Find out more information about what to do if an injured cat runs away after a road traffic accident on their website.
Prevention
1. Keep your cat to a mealtime schedule coordinated when traffic is at its heaviest.
2. Make yourself visible/call your cat every so often, don’t let them fend for themselves.
3. Keep your cats in at night time, as headlights can dazzle, confuse and disorientate making an accident more likely.
4. Neuter and spey your cat.
5. Purchase a collar with emergency details on.
6. Microchip your cat.
7. Consider a cat containment system such as a fencetop barrier for your garden, a catio or cat enclosure.
Lola’s Legacy
ProtectaPet is a company owned and managed by Simon and Eve Davies, and run by a team of dedicated pet lovers. ProtectaPet began when Simon and Eve lost their beloved cat Lola.
We are now keen to provide this service to other animal lovers who are looking to maximise the safety of their cat, or for those who are looking to turn their garden into a safehaven from cats for wildlife such as birds and voles. We will strive to offer a quality service tailored to your individual needs.”
If you’re serious about protecting your cat then take a look at how our systems work here.