I killed a cat! :(

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

I'm feeling really depressed about this. A small cat (probably just a year old at most) ran in front of my car late last night. The cat must've hit something under my car. I feel like I didn't react quick enough, maybe if i'd stopped quicker it would've lived, or if i'd swirved onto the curb or something. It happened so fast. I stopped and went back, picked up the cat that was almost dead. Tried frantically to find a hospital to save it, but after about 5 minutes, the cat passed as I discovered when I got to the closed "24 hour" animal hospital. I am feeling just awful. We buried the cat and I feel like it was my own pet, even though I hadn't know it. I haven't felt this awful since I buried my flying squirrel probably 10 years ago. I feel like shit and I can't find the will to go to work today.

I am not sure why I posted, I think it just helps to talk about it. Thanks for listening.

Angela

[Shotgun 1]

Sorry to hear about that, Angela.

In the past, I have had two cats killed by cars... and hopefully it will make you feel better to know that I feel completely responsible for letting them outside in the first place. The two cats I have now are strictly indoor cats.

When you have an animal run in front of your car, it is often impossible to avoid hitting it; it's not your fault! But I understand how you feel... I once killed an armadillo that ran in front of my car and I felt horrible about it.

Just remember that it's not your fault and that you did everything you could possibly do. Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Keely

[Zep 0]

Don't feel to bad, the little guy's probably in pussy heaven dry an warm

Gone fishing

[YahooLV 0]

Very sorry to hear of your experience. I too have had a similiar tale.

Going through a divorce, walkin along the side of a busy road, this beautiful brown boxer ran right out in front of a semi-truck.

As miserable as I was, all I could do was sit and be with this poor dog as life slipped away. Take solice in that the animal didn't die alone, but had someone very caring with it. This happened 10 years agao, but I still have a tear when I think of it.

I still don't know why it happened, but for a few minutes, my misery was the last thing on my mind.

Curt

http://www.curtisglennphotography.com

[VanillaSkyGirl 6]

(((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))

Please don't blame yourself, sweetie. You are a kind soul, who did everything that you could to help it. It wasn't your fault.

[pleifer 0]

I have almost wrecked my vehicle avoiding furry mammals....
I cannot stand the attitude of thinking that because they don't have oposable thumbs they are lesser creatures.....
The fact that you tried to find a hospital open shows what a kind (animal loving) person you are....
It hurts but don't beat yourself up too much over it... you did everything you could... sometimes fate just goes in the wrong direction....

_________________________________________
The Angel of Duh has spoke

[jumperoo 0]

That's a terrible experience to have. At least the cat died quickly, and you did all you could to try to save it. Nevertheless, I understand that it is still a very upsetting thing to have happen.

Obviously, you are sensitive about domestic animals. There's nothing you can do to take back what happened to the cat from last night. But, it might make you feel better if you did something to help improve the life of another animal.

You could donate time to a local shelter. They always need people to pet cats, walk dogs, etc. They also need donations (money, food, cat beds, blankets, stuffed toys, etc.).

I realize that this won't take away the bad feeling that comes from running over an animal. But, there are so many needy domestic animals in the world. If we can help only a few, I think we can alleviate some of the bad feelings created by the tragedies that occur to all of the others (such as strays left to run the streets and be run over by cars, animals that have to be euthanized, etc.).

I hope you feel better soon.

[pleifer 0]

That is a good idea....

though I always donate old blankets, and food..

especially around winter....

I can't volunteer, cause I always want to take all the animals home...

_________________________________________
The Angel of Duh has spoke

[WFFC 1]

Took out a golden retriever that had inadvertently gotten up on an elevated portion of I-70 going through Denver. Quick options were to swerve (taking out a Geo Metro and possibly get taken out by the 18 wheeler behind me) or just hold the wheel and take the 'bump'. I stopped up the road and the trucker stopped too. Checked out the car and nothing was wrong. The trucker was kind and reassured me that the move was right and the dog was in the wrong place at the wrong time and the possible outcomes if I had swerved could have resulted in serious personal injury. One of those situations that's out of your control that makes you not feel so great afterwards.

{{{{{{{VIBES}}}}}}}}}

-----
~~~Michael

[Cajundude 0]

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Don't feel to bad, the little guy's probably in pussy heaven dry an warm

Hmmmn... Sounds like a good place to be! But I thought it was moist and humid??

[hungarianchick 0]

I'm sorry you have to go through this, it is a terrible feeling, and unfortunately I'm all too familiar with it.

A few years ago, the car I was in (my ex was driving)
run over a stray pup. We were out in the boonies fishing and this scrawny thing just jumped out in front of us probably hoping that we will be the one to take him home. The only consolation to me was that he died instantly, still, I was traumatized and cried for days...

Watching a living creature die is traumatic to most people, your feelings are completely normal.
Time will eventually help you to push the event to the back of your mind, and the fact is that you did everything you could to help the cat should be a consolation.

Hang in there!

"I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food."

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

Thanks, everyone. I am just taking a mental health day off from work. I think i'll go grab some movies and beer. I am trying not to think about it, but even though it would've maybe been less traumatic to not go back, pretending it ddn't happen... i'm still glad I did go back and try. Poor baby didn't deserve to die in the street. Makes me hope there is something else, maybe reincarnation. Hey, one can always be optimistic, right?:)

Thanks to everyone for their kind words. It is a comfort.
Angela.

[n2skdvn 0]

yuo did the right thing. i love animals but when in driving i will not swerve to avoid hitting an animal.
i almost got my self killed for that.so i will not swerve for an animal(ill brake thats about it). so dont feel sorry for your self you did the best you could.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[Bolas 5]

I was coming back home from college through this very rural area in Virginia. I was on a 4 lane road when this dog came running across the road and even though I slammed on the brakes I still hit it. I immediately pulled over and looked for the do but couldn't find it.
While I was looking this couple pulled up in a car and asked me if I had car trouble. The woman was driving and the guy was drinking an Old Milwaukee. I told them no, but I had hit a dog and described the dog to them. They said that it sounded like their neighbors dog and I asked if they could show me to the house so I could tell them what happened.
I followed them to the house and walked up to the door. I was nearly in tears when I knocked on the door. A lady came to the door.
I asked "Do you have a dog that (I described the dog)"
"Yes," she said.
"Well," I said, having a hard time talking, "I think I hit your dog, but I couldn't find him."
"Oh, (dog's name)?" she replied, "We've been trying to kill him for months. Are you okay? Would you like to come in for something to drink?"
Once my brain processed this information, doubled checked it, and then asked my ears a third time, "Repeat that again, she said WHAT?!?" I politely refused and got the HELL out of there. This is why I couldn't remember some details, they were expunged.
Not every animal has it well. You may have been the best thing in that cat's life. You may have allowed it to die happy.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[genitor 0]

Awww that sucks! I know how you feel, though.

Back in high school, I was taking a friend of mine back to her house, when all of a sudden a cat jumps out in front of my car from a ditch. I hit it directly (going about 30-35) and of course it died.

The next morning, my friend went to her bus stop only to find a girl crying, telling the story about how someone had killed her cat, and how much she had loved it. Of course I felt absolutely horrible when I heard that.

I have hit a few other animals since then (no pets, fortunately), and I've pretty much trained myself NOT to swerve if a animal runs out in front of my car. I do not want to end up crashing into a ditch, etc. trying not to hit an animal, even though I still feel horrible each time it happens. It's just one of the very unfortunate realities of modern transportation.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Not your fault, Angela. I hope you can manage to forgive yourself -- you can't be blamed for things that jump into your path. Rest knowing you tried what you could. A cat that's dead is a cat that's not suffering, you know.

You had a flying squirrel? That's coooool!

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

Quote

Not your fault, Angela. I hope you can manage to forgive yourself -- you can't be blamed for things that jump into your path. Rest knowing you tried what you could. A cat that's dead is a cat that's not suffering, you know.

You had a flying squirrel? That's coooool!

-Jeffrey

I am feeling better today. It helped a lot getting it out and discussing it with others. I am glad I buried the cat, though, it makes me feel good knowing that it rests in peace.

Yes, I had a flying squirrel I acquired when I lived in GA. It was a baby when I got it, and it ended up having some problems (it would have seizures sometimes, and bite down and seize:( ) I was playing video games with my cousin one day, and the squirrel crawled up underneath my leg for warmth. I don't know if it suffocated there, or had a seizure and I didn't feel it, or what... but, when I got up, it was dead underneath me. I'd had it for a year, it was a wonderful pet. I felt awful, cried for a week. We had a burial ceremony for it outside later that day. Cool creatures, though.

angela.