Community Chat

[Plaid Pants2]

WARNING! What I am about to say, is upsetting. Read at own risk. Have 

WARNING! What I am about to say is upsetting. Read at your own risk. Have tissues handy.

 I am still upset and sad over what happened today. My heart is breaking. 

I was on my way home today (Sunday), and was driving on the main residential street near my apartment. I was less than a mile from home, when a cat started to cross in front of my car, going from my left, to my right.

I slammed on my breaks, which caused the cat to turn around, and go in the opposite direction.

At the same time, a car came from the opposite direction. I was heading one way, the other car was coming towards me.

I heard a pop sound.

I looked in my rearview mirror, and saw the cat, drag itself off of the road. It could not use its hind legs.

I could not just leave it there to suffer, and be in pain.

The car that hit it did stop, but then left. 

I hope that they rot in Hades for that.

I turned around, stopped, and went to the injured cat. It barely meowed.

I gently scooped it up and placed it in the back of my car.

I remembered that there was an emergency vet clinic near by, so I went there.

To my surprise and dismay, it no longer exists.

I pulled in to Costco, and pulled out my smart phone, and started calling.

Most places were closed. One only delt with large animals, but they gave me some other numbers.

I tried those. No luck. No answer.

So finally I called the non-emergency police number.

After talking to them, they gave me the address of a vet clinic, where I could take the cat.

It was one town over.

The operator told me that they would call the clinic to let them know that I was on my way.

So I drove through the dense fog to the clinic, where they were waiting for me.

They took the poor injured cat, and got my information.

They wouldn't let me stay with it.

I don't know what, if anything, that the vets can do for it, except end its suffering.

I feel so sad. 

The image of seeing that cat drag its back legs, is going to haunt me.

I know that that cat was in pain.

I couldn't just leave it there to suffer.

I couldn't.

It wasn't even my cat that I did this for.

I just imagine the owner worried about their cat, and why it hasn't come home, not knowing what happened to it. I don't even know who the cat belongs to.

I am sorry this is so long, but as I said, I am still very upset over what happened.

I know that I did the right thing, but I still feel awful.

I just needed to talk.

[Moonchilde]

OMG @Plaid Pants2, {{{HUGS}}}

I completely understand why you feel awful, I would too.  But you did everything you could have done, and thanks to you, the kitty's pain and suffering was the least it could have been.

[denisemb]

@Plaid Pants2   Bless you for having the compassion and empathy to lessen the suffering of one of God's creatures, even at a cost to yourself (the emotional cost, not monetary).

[Venezia]

@Plaid Pants2 - I am so sorry that this happened to you.  I've also had a similar experience, except that I was walking and had a cat run past me into the street and hit by a van that was going too fast on a residential street; would've been the same result, if it had been a child.  There was simply nothing that time that could be done, but I stayed until someone I knew came along and said he would "deal with it" and find the owner.

I still remember that to this day and it was many years ago.

You did what you could to get that poor cat whatever help is possible.  Please take some solace in that. 

[september]

You were very kind and compassionate, for coming to the aid of this cat.  I know it might have looked bad, but perhaps the vet was able to save him/her.  Also, if there was a collar or chip...the owner would have been notified.

They say cats do have 9 lives.  Earlier this year, I was dropping my husband off at the gym, close to our home.  As I drove along the highway, I glimpsed an animal's body along the side of the road.  After I passed it, I realized it looked just like the cat that lives next door to us.  I dropped off my husband, turned around and went back to where I had seen it.  Someone had picked it up.

We didn't see this cat for 6 weeks....it had spent a lot of time at our place.  I assumed it had passed away.  Then one day....there she was again, making the rounds.  

I hope the cat you helped recovers.  If not...you did everything you could.

[Kachina624]

@Plaid Pants2. If the kitty lost the use of its back legs, there's an excellent it lost feeling and was not in pain. Sadly animals with those injuries are usually not salvageable.

You should be commended for your efforts to help the kitty.  I wish people would keep their cats inside so neither the cat nor the public has to go through this.

[Tinkrbl44]

@Plaid Pants2

OMG, what a terrible experience!    Still, you are to be commended for taking the time to get this furbaby to a vet .... if they can be saved.   If they cannot be saved, at least they can be humanely put to sleep, and not end up suffering in a ditch.

Did the cat have a collar on?   Hopefully, it has a chip embedded in it and the owner can be notified.

I know this was upsetting .....  but you did all you could for this little sweetie.   Consider yourself hugged ... twice.

Tink

[Toppers]

Please try not to feel bad. 

You tried to help this dear little kitty. I commend you for that. 

Years ago, my DH and I were driving home one summer night, and we saw a kitty trying to run across the street, way ahead of us. A pick-up truck was going too fast down the street, and kept on going.

Anyway, we stopped to see what we could do to help the kitty. 

I did like you did and called the non-emergency police. I had wrapped it in a towel that I had kept in the car. 

They said that they would pick the kitty up for us, and take care of it.

[hckynutjohn]

I am so sorry you had to experience something this terrible. It tells me all I need to know about who you really are and your caring fir living creatures. Very few people would go to the lengths you did to help this suffering animal.

Hopefully you will recognize the good you did for this cat and this will help dim the painful part of this very sad experience. 

This is only 1 of many terrible and painful things that happens to cats when their owners let them go outside the safety of their homes.

Thank you for caring and doing so much to help this helpless kitty. There will beautiful places for people like you when life as we know it is over. My best wishes for you having to deal with such a sad and mentally painful experience.  Bless you!

hckynut(john)

[goldensrbest]

This was a caring ,loving deed you did.