Dog Community

Saw a dead cat in the road =(

Posted : 4/11/2007 8:22:09 AM

My neighboorhood has a ton of cats (some belonging to people, although I think most do not), particulary right down the street seems to be a hot territory spot (hence why I think some at least belong to the two houses I see most of them at). I knew it was only a matter of time before someone hit one.

I came home last night from work and saw the body in the road. I pulled over, in the off chance the cat was still alive, but it was not. What broke my heart even more was this cat was a dead ringer for my Dad's cat that was my baby (divorce consolation gift and all, so I saw the cat every weekend and holidays for many years). My Dad's cat was put to sleep a couple years ago because of failing health and he was too old to go through invasive medical treatments that offered a poor outcome.

I called animal control this morning to let them know of the body (make sure it isn't diseased and all), but I couldn't stop thinking about it all night. I tried knocking on a couple doors last night to make sure he didn't belong to anyone (he was pretty chubby so I suspect he did at least at one point belong to someone). A few houses were dark (I work nights) so I only knocked on the ones with lights on. The cat wasn't claimed, nor did they seem to care...one said its just a "%$#@! cat, I got three of them so even if it were mine I got others" Nice, real nice. This is also the same house that lets their dogs off leash in their nonexistant yard (tiny front yard right near the road) and I almost hit their dog on several occasions (to get on my road there's a major blindspot curve).

Can't wait to move out of this neighborhood.

huskymom

Posted : 4/11/2007 8:29:06 AM

I'm not a cat person, but even I'm not that insensitive.

the_gopher

Posted : 4/11/2007 8:38:09 AM

Where I live is an interesting mix of ignorance and more progressive attitudes. They often clash with each other, but EVEN that remark blew my mind. Then again, I also suspected drinking. There's quite a few neighboors here with obvious drinking problems.

I think his comment is what left me unnerved last night. I cannot imagine being so callous!

DumDog

Posted : 4/11/2007 11:19:00 PM

i know people like that, i'm ashamed to say i'm related to some of them.....
one problem is not just the people, but animal control..... we reported someone shooting one of my cats. a couple of months before that we heard a gunshot at night, and the twin brother to the above mentioned never came home. My mom filed a report with the local police because.. well my grandmother isnt always thinking clearly. she has been known to leave the house when no one is looking. if someone is shooting animals and getting away with it, then why wouldnt they shoot a crazy old lady? regardless.... ACO didnt show up, and everyone brushed it off like "its just a cat..." well, when they shot him they didnt kill him. they just broke his spine so he had to be PTS.... with only two houses out here, its not hard to guess who did it, but... prove it.
I knew these people when i was a kid, i THOUGHT that if my cats were being pests and tearing things up they would tell me so i could do something about it.... i guess i was wrong.

Raja19

Posted : 4/12/2007 1:37:13 AM

It seems like alot of people do not even bother calling AC about dead animals, mostly cats. When I drove to downtown oday I saw about 3 cats that had been hit.
I always try to call AC, if it were my cat I would at least want someone to call so the poor animal had a bit of dignity. ( I mean if my cat were lost, and ended up getting hit)

I remember when we lived in my old house, one of my neighbors had 2 cats, they loved them to death, and one night their cat got hit and the person who hit the cat, rang the owners door and left the cat on their doorstep. It was bloody and barley alive, unfortunetly it was in the middle of the night and the neighbors did not hear the doorbell so when they woke up they saw their dead cat.

DumDog

Posted : 4/12/2007 1:31:11 PM

i think i would have handled that differently.. i mean that is too much like the God Father thing and finding the horse's head in bed... YUCK!!
No i think i would have left a note or rang the bell until someone got up. i wouldnt have left it suffering on their doorstep either. i mean... if there was no way for it to be saved then i probably would have had it PTS.. and like i said, i would have waited for someone to answer the door. i cant stand to let an animal suffer for any length of time.
that would bug me forever.