Worried About Cat Getting Runover

[crispylettuce]

Unfortunately, I don't think there's really anything that you can do other than keep the cat indoors. So if that's not something you're willing to do, then it's just a risk you have to accept. I can sympathize though, I used to have an all black cat who just loved to roll around on the asphalt in the middle of the road. She never got hit, but she probably took a couple years off my life making me worry about her.

 

[Caspers Human]

I was driving home from the grocery store, last night, and there was a calico in the same place in the middle of the road where I saw the tabby.

I slowed down and beeped the horn at it and I was able to scare it of the road.

This has started me thinking.

There are at least a half dozen cats roaming the neighborhood that I know of. There are likely more that I don't see.

I wonder whether that spot in the road or some place nearby is a gathering spot for neighborhood cats.

Is there a tree, a post, a bush or a spot on the ground or something where cats are scent marking or otherwise leaving their sign?

Could this be why cats seem to hang out there for no visible reason?

Are all the neighborhood cats are leaving messages in that spot for their cat comrades?

 

[Stinky15]

It's a silly post by me, really. It was only my neighbour compounding my thoughts! Of course I cannot do anything! It's just a worry... but that's what you get to let your cats out. To his advantage, he is also scared by loud noises and strangers. So I hope he'll stick to the boundary mostly! I think he seems to be growing in confidence though. We rescued him at six months, so I don't know much about his history, apart from where he came from at his last home was by a very busy road.

Yes I have known people to build catios! It's a good idea, although I think I prefer the idea of them going in and out freely - apart from at night. Thanks for the reply to my daft post!

My theory is there are stupid cats and smart cats. Some know what a car is and will stay away. Just like some will crawl in an engine compartment to stay warm and some know better. My own view is that it is cruel to try and keep a cat in if they want to be out. Humans have a habit of trying to make things conform to what they want.

 

[lutece]

My theory is there are stupid cats and smart cats. Some know what a car is and will stay away. Just like some will crawl in an engine compartment to stay warm and some know better. My own view is that it is cruel to try and keep a cat in if they want to be out. Humans have a habit of trying to make things conform to what they want.

I disagree that any cat, whether it is smart or not so smart, "knows better" about whether it is safe to crawl into an engine compartment. Engine compartments are not a natural part of the environment that cats evolved in. Cats don't have any innate knowledge of engine compartments, and they have no way to know that they are dangerous, other than direct personal experience. In an urban environment, it's perfectly rational for cats to seek shelter under parked cars and to seek warm places. A cat may be able to safely hide under parked cars many times without incident, and therefore "learn" through experience that parked cars are "safe."

It's your choice whether to let your cats out, and no one here will judge you for that (as long as your cats are spayed / neutered). However, it's a fallacy to minimize the risks in your mind by telling yourself that a smart cat will avoid these risks. The risks of the outdoors are real risks, and even very smart cats are at risk outdoors.

 

[5starcathotel]

The dog is NOT stupid but rather the owner is responsible for his pet's unsafe behavior and lack of training. Most towns have a leash law so this could safely be resolved if you or someone else contacted the appropriate authorities.

Meh, it's a suburban neighborhood, and honestly has been the status-quo for 10+ years. The owner and I always exchange glances, when I am at least 30+ feet away from his dog. But I do at least agree with you, that dog needed some better training / control !!!

EDIT: Also, at most/best all the "appropriate authorities" can do is take the dog away to a shelter, and in my county, means a kill shelter. The dog isn't aggressive, or a threat to any humans (or even any other cats!) in neighborhood. Nothing can be improved by me involving the local authorities.

 

[5starcathotel]

Engine compartments are not a natural part of the environment that cats evolved in. Cats don't have any innate knowledge of engine compartments, and they have no way to know that they are dangerous, other than direct personal experience.

True enough. The major attraction of engine compartments, especially in cold winter climates, is that they can be warm. So I think if the same cat had a nearly equivalent bed space (something elevated, above the frost, and insulated with bedding or hay, and shielded from the wind and snow), they would be at least as enticed by such a space.

 

[Dacatchair]

I have 2 indoor only cats, one that I take out on a leash and younger one I usually do not. The one who got used to leash time growing up really really wants out, even though they have close to 1000 square feet of outdoor enclosures. So I sympathise with you feeling uncomfortable confining your cat, as I struggle with the ethics of this on a daily basis.

Anyways... my personal observation is that cats do learn from experience, and it would probably increase their chance of survival if you can play the role of Mom before allowing them to make their own choices. If people spend a couple hours a day exploring their neighbourhood with their cat on a leash, and did this for a year, they will probably have a much better chance of living long enough to figure out what is dangerous and learning to avoid these things unharmed. Of course it is no guarantee, but I think there is reason to believe it will increase their chances of survival. One UK study found that 1/4 of kittens killed in traumatic accidents were under 1 year, and 1/2 were under 5 years. (the other 1/2 were 5-15 years)

As your cat is already used to going out on his own, maybe you could be out there with him on a leash and try to be with him while he gets the experience he needs to get the idea roads and cars should be avoided? You also might get some insight into what is attracting him and may be able to modify that somehow...?

 

[lutece]

One UK study found that 1/4 of kittens killed in traumatic accidents were under 1 year, and 1/2 were under 5 years. (the other 1/2 were 5-15 years)

Did the study say anything about the number of free roaming cats outdoors in each age category in total? With the high mortality outdoors, it wouldn't sound implausible to me that a large number of free roaming cats would be under 5 years of age, in which case those numbers might mostly reflect the number of free roaming cats outdoors in each age category.

 

[Dacatchair]

The study was done on a population of cats in the UK and it says 90% of the cats in the study were allowed out, but the number of cats allowed out at a specific age is not mentioned. Other information I have seen suggests at the time of this study "out" in the UK meant allowed to free roam at least part of each day. Interestingly, this study also found the average lifespan for spayed and neutered cats in the study was 15 years, which is the same average for indoor only cats in the US.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/367...zzFYb9YTxBeix60oBWOfyRsNVcB1TcnBhcpFfIDHMnn0o

However, different studies find different things, depending on methodology, and I have seen some other estimates that up to 25% of cats in the UK are killed by cars. The above study found 12.2% of cats in the UK died of various traumatic injuries. One problem with studies is they reflect averages, so in the UK, London and Bristol have the highest car related mortality rates, which means areas with less roads and also less cats attracted to roads would be less then average risk. A study out of Bristol found that cats that hang out beside roads are at a lot higher risk than cats that avoid them, even in quiet rural areas...There is a lot of factors and even a couple miles can make a large difference in which risks a cat is most likely to be exposed to... Where I live no cat within a couple miles has ever been known to be killed by a car, and I have lived here several decades. Probably talking to local vets and neighbours is a good way to learn about local risks, though how much risk is acceptable, is largely a matter of personal opinion..

 

[lutece]

Thanks for posting the study!

In my neighborhood, a lot of cats seem to be killed by either coyotes or cars (we have neighbors posting about this on Nextdoor frequently). It's a residential urban neighborhood and not really a high traffic area. You wouldn't think we would have coyotes here, but they seem to come down from the hills.

 

[Dacatchair]

Coyotes seem to be adapting to urban areas and taking advantage of whatever food sources are available. The town I grew up in 50 years ago never had any incidents with coyotes, and now I read they are regularly killing peoples pets.

But even in areas with a high risk, how we feel about this risk is largely subjective personal opinion.. Wild animals that are not in captivity are also are exposed to a lot more risks and usually die horrific deaths, and carnivores generally live longer in captivity. I was recently reading that Servals that live in captivity on average live twice as long as their wild brethren. In yet most of us agree wild animals are usually best left to live in the environment they evolved to live in, even if this is risky and on average means a shorter life... It seems to be a bit of a spectrum as to how much wild and how much couch potato genes our cats get, but genetically they are virtually identical to their wild ancestors, and up until the invention of kitty litter in the 1950's, cats evolved to be free roaming rodent hunters who also enjoyed time by the human hearth and a few table scraps. Lots of wild animals have friendly interdependent relationships with other species, and it doesn't mean they are no longer wild... So I sympathise with people who feel uncomfortable keeping a cat in that wants out... even if there is more risk in the indoor outdoor lifestyle.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Coyotes seem to be adapting to urban areas and taking advantage of whatever food sources are available. The town I grew up in 50 years ago never had any incidents with coyotes, and now I read they are regularly killing peoples pets.

That's so very true. Coyotes are extremely adaptable. I lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee for over a decade, and the newspaper there ran an article warning people to keep small pets and not allow them to roam, because a pack of about thirty coyotes was living in the downtown area. They were rough on the ferals, but they did a great job of keeping the rodent population down. Rodents, by the way, are the typical prey of coyotes.