Hit a cat - what to do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Imy
  • Start date Start date
Bask in the blood of your victim, or, if it has run off an is no where to be seen, exit the vehicle, raise your hands in the air and shout "stand and bang!"

I believe this is the legal requirement, please do not ask me to find it in law though.

If it managed to get away sharpish you probably didn't hit it enough to do any damage, it just lost one of its lives. As an animal lover myself I get the idea of compassion, but with cats and their freedom, there is not a lot you can do, any more and you will just be seeking out trouble.
 
ubersonic said:
Yes master..., no wait, do it yourself.

If you hit a dog its the owners fault for not controlling their animal and they are liable for damage to your property (the vehicle). If you hit a cat its your fault (same as hitting a sheep) and you are responsible for the damage to the owners property (the cat, in reality this means covering vet bills/etc not replacing the cat).
Click to expand...

You're wrong. 'ferae naturae' is completely correct. If you hit and / or kill a cat you have no legal obligation - just potentially a morale one.

If you hit a dog it's different and you'd need to phone the police to report this.

See BBC news report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-11655347
 
Dr Who said:
A cat is regarded as ferae naturae (undomesticated wild animal) and there is no liability if you hit one in a car.
Click to expand...

That means the owner is not responsible for the cats actions, i.e it could kill your prize rabbit, jump through the window and shred your $100,000 painting, then steal your identity and you couldn't do anything about it. It doesn't mean you can go around injuring/killing them willy nilly. If a dog and a cat got into a fight the dog owner would be responsible for the cats vet bills but the cat owner wouldn't be responsible for anything.




hilly said:
You're wrong. 'ferae naturae' is completely correct. If you hit and / or kill a cat you have no legal obligation - just potentially a morale one.

If you hit a dog it's different and you'd need to phone the police to report this.

See BBC news report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-11655347
Click to expand...

Not being required to notify the police isn't the same as not being responsible for the damages. If I backed into an empty car in Morrisons car park I wouldn't be required to contact the police but I would be required to exchange insurance details/etc as im responsible for the damage.
 
Last edited:
ubersonic said:
Yes master..., no wait, do it yourself.

If you hit a dog its the owners fault for not controlling their animal and they are liable for damage to your property (the vehicle). If you hit a cat its your fault (same as hitting a sheep) and you are responsible for the damage to the owners property (the cat, in reality this means covering vet bills/etc not replacing the cat).
Click to expand...

When was the last time you posted a fact that wasn't wrong?
 
paradigm said:
Shocking? To hit a cat? Can't say I've ever cared tbh.
Click to expand...

You have no heart :mad:

kNQCs.jpg
 
ubersonic said:
That means the owner is not responsible for the cats actions, i.e it could kill your prize rabbit, jump through the window and shred your $100,000 painting, then steal your identity and you couldn't do anything about it. It doesn't mean you can go around injuring/killing them willy nilly. If a dog and a cat got into a fight the dog owner would be responsible for the cats vet bills but the cat owner wouldn't be responsible for anything.
Click to expand...

It wasn't "willy nilly", it ran into a road, a main road, hardly my problem, and had it caused damage to the car, I'd not be pursuing the owner for damages myself.

Of course I don't "care", I have no emotional ties to the animal, and I had no way of knowing who's it was. Not going to let it ruin my day by getting all emotional about it.
 
If the cat ran off, there isn't really much you can do. If it was lying there in a mangled gooey mess then yes you would have to take action. But it wasn't (hopefully) so just assume it is safely back with its owner.
 
ubersonic said:
That means the owner is not responsible for the cats actions, i.e it could kill your prize rabbit, jump through the window and shred your $100,000 painting, then steal your identity and you couldn't do anything about it. It doesn't mean you can go around injuring/killing them willy nilly. If a dog and a cat got into a fight the dog owner would be responsible for the cats vet bills but the cat owner wouldn't be responsible for anything.
Click to expand...

That is because the DOG is treated as needing to be under control. There is no financial liability towards a cat owner from a car driver, if there was it would be reportable, and it isn't because they are deemed wild untrainable animals.

Nobody said you can go around killing them willy nilly, that would be an animal cruelty issue, but a RTC involving a cat, like mine from 3 weeks ago in which my cat was killed, is NOT reportable and has NO financial liability.
 
ubersonic said:
That means the owner is not responsible for the cats actions, i.e it could kill your prize rabbit, jump through the window and shred your $100,000 painting, then steal your identity and you couldn't do anything about it. It doesn't mean you can go around injuring/killing them willy nilly. If a dog and a cat got into a fight the dog owner would be responsible for the cats vet bills but the cat owner wouldn't be responsible for anything.


Not being required to notify the police isn't the same as not being responsible for the damages. If I backed into an empty car in Morrisons car park I wouldn't be required to contact the police but I would be required to exchange insurance details/etc as im responsible for the damage.
Click to expand...

Dr ubersonic LLB Internets
 
I hit a cat on a national speed limit country lane. I saw it dart out of a hedge and then turn and try to run back to where it came from by which point it was inline with the middle of my car. I hit it without a chance to brake. Heard something bounce off the underside engine cover. I came to a stop around the next bend in a safe place expecting to see poor moggy mashed in to my lower grill. Middle section of my splitter was missing had been smashed clean off. I can only guess it ducked last minute and took the impact of my car on it's back. Was no sign of it.

Nothing much you can do tbh.
 
ubersonic said:
Not being required to notify the police isn't the same as not being responsible for the damages. If I backed into an empty car in Morrisons car park I wouldn't be required to contact the police but I would be required to exchange insurance details/etc as im responsible for the damage.
Click to expand...

ORLY? So what is the position if you cannot exchange details with the other car owner, like it would be if you couldn't trace the owner of the cat/dog for example?
 
I just remembered the estate has a facebook group so I've posted on there for any owners of a black and white cat to check to see if theirs is ok. Nothing else I can do now except keep my fingers crossed.
 
Imy said:
I just remembered the estate has a facebook group so I've posted on there for any owners of a black and white cat to check to see if theirs is ok. Nothing else I can do now except keep my fingers crossed.
Click to expand...

/bow
 
hilly said:
If you hit a dog it's different and you'd need to phone the police to report this.
Click to expand...

Afraid not. When our dog got hit ( thanks to the mrs being a muppet ) i asked at the local police station as to wether the driver should have come forward, as i was curious.. and apparently no there is no obligation to report hitting a dog. Only a person or a livestock animal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom