Concerned pet owner!....................

[cat woman]

Is it just me and my soft hearted nature or do other Aber's worry about other peoples pets just as much as they do with their own?


Yesturday driving to work I pass a new private housing estate which is still on going, people have started buying these houses, the road which I was driving along has a 40 mph speed limit. Just as I was approaching the first of two roundabouts which leads you into this estate a very young black cat shot out from the open fields opposite this estate, I had to break to miss it even though I was only doing 30mph, if a car was coming the other way it might have been hit.


All day long at work I kept thinking of this cat and now I'm worried incase I find it dead on the the road or it shoots out again, so from now on I'm dreading the drive to work because I know it will effect me badly if anything happens to it. X X X :-(

[makemesmile]

I always feel sad when I see a stray dog on his travels. They always look so unloved : (

[janeo]

Hopefully you'll have given it a fright & it will stay away from the road in future.

[Athley]

Unfortunately cat woman its our beloved cats main bugbear isn't it. I always worry about my own when I go to work and hope she hasn't gone across the road, but we can't stop them.

They are right little monkeys but that's why we love them so much they are such free spirits. I always worry about other peoples pets too when I see cats out late at night or in the rain or something. Its human nature for us pet lovers.

I hate driving in the dark and am always on the lookout for any animals ready to jump out. I've even braked to let squirrels and beeeped my horn at birds on the road. I couldn't bear it if I ran one over.

You are just a really nice caring person so don't worry about it and you are not alone.

:o)

[cat woman]

Thank you all for your replies, yesterday I drove a different route to work " daft I know" my husband and work mates say that I'm being over sensitive ( but that me.)

Hi Athley I do exactly the same as you driving at night, I.m always on the look out for pet's and animals, the times I've slowed down to miss rabbits on this route to work. One night last year there was a Hedgehog crossing the road, I swerved to miss it and I nearly hit a car coming out of side road, you are the only person that I've told about this incident because I feel so foolish in the fact that I almost caused an accident. X X X :-(

[lankeela]

The only person you have told? What about the three million or so other answerbankers who now know your
secret?

I think most of us are cautious where animals on the road are concerned but you cannot live your life just waiting for an accident that might not happen. As you have proved, it can cause other accidents by not taking the appropriate care when driving.

I recently came across a badger lying in the middle of the road that had been hit by a car. I tried to lift it to the side, but it was so heavy and although I thought it was dead, it came to life and was thrashing about violently to get away from me. I tried dragging it by the tail (I know the other end bites!) but it eventually dragged itself off into the undergrowth and although I worried about it for a while and think about it every time I pass that place I know there was nothing I could do. No vet would come out to a 'possible injured badger' 'somewhere in the undergrowth', so I just have to hope it either recovered or died quickly.

I also found a young deer late one night last year that had been hit and had both back legs smashed. I put it in my car and took it to a vets surgery. The vet took about two hours to get there and put it down. It was screaming in pain but there was nothing else I could do except cover it with a blanket (I had all my dogs in the car - I've never seen them so quiet!).

Really what I am saying is we have to deal with these things if they do happen, but cannot go around waiting for them to.

[lankeela]

As for stray dogs, please either try to catch them or at least make a mental note of their description and the place you saw them. You never know whether they are just 'latchkey dogs' that have been turned out or whether they are someone's much loved pet either escaped or turned loose after being stolen.

Please visit http://www.doglost.co.uk and you will see how desperate people are to find their missing/stolen dogs and how such a sighting can often lead to them being reunited.
Also please consider joining Dog Lost as a helper, you will be emailed details if a dog is missing in your area, and you can look out for it, or put up posters if you are able to.
The more people involved the more likely they are to be reunited. Think what would happen if it was your dog that was missing.

[Athley]

cat woman - can you imagine if you and I had to take lankeela's journey home - it sounds far to traumatic for me!!!

Just had a look at the lost dog site lankeela thanks for pointing that one out as you're right people don't realise there are worried owners out there. My cat only went missing once and for less than a day but I was in bits looking for her everywhere. Little devil came home by herself covered in what looked like soot!!!!

[foxyflugel]

I know how you feel catwoman - many a time I have stopped and collared some unsuspecting victim to move a dead cat out of the middle of the road (I had not run it over by the way!!) but I just can't leave them there - it is so undignified. I just can't help myself I'm afraid - and like you - it really upsets me and I don't give 2 hoots what people think.. We lost a cat on the road and it was heartbreaking - whoever ran her over just left her there - scumbags - I now have 4 cats and they have their own catflap which leads to a big pen on the backyard - they love it. It is a myth that cats are free spirited and independant and love being kicked out at night - that is how they get knocked over. ; 0 )