Not in any metaphorical sense, or as a result of masturbation. I killed a 6 week old kitten today.
We have a number of cats living under our house, as I have mentioned in other threads, including two brand-new kittens. They play and romp around my truck, but wisely scatter when they hear the doors slam or the engine start. I let it set in place for a few seconds after starting, just to let any slow one get out of the way of the tires. Today the wife and I headed off to the airport. The fan belt squealed like it always does, telling me it needs dressing. Just as we got on the freeway, the truck lost all power. We coasted to a stop and I popped the hood. Nothing leaking, but it looked like a belt had somehow jumped the pulley. I called AAA, and they towed me to the garage. The mechanic looked around for a bit, and said “Do you have cats?” He shone the flashlight down and showed me the remains of a kitten, who had apparently climbed up under the engine last night and was caught by the belt this morning and cut in half, killing it instantly.
The garage gave us a ride home, where we attempted to get a nose count of the cats. We accounted for some, but not others. The garage came to pick me up, and the mechanic described the kitten. It was Spooky, the black/white one. I came back home and hugged our indoor kitties very hard. Hugged my wife really hard too. I know it wasn’t anybody’s fault, but still…
Hug your pets, Dopers. Spooky never got a chance to be anybody’s sweetheart. Value yours today.
If it makes you feel any better, I rescued and adopted one a couple of weeks ago (and I’m not really a cat person) so there’s still balance in the universe.
My husband had a kitten who died in the springs of the couch. It crawled up in there and someone sat down and…SPLAT! The only reason they knew there was trauma was because one of the other cats was walking around with a paw in its mouth.
Kitten shit happens. But sorry it happened to you.
His name was Jean-Pierre. He was lovable but very stupid. He climbed up into the car one day and my stepfather started it and he fell out with a broken jaw. We patched him up, but then later I was away at university, and he did it again, and this time didn’t survive.
I’m so sorry. That happened to my dad with his truck. Puck was a grown cat who should have known better, but that didn’t make it any easier. My dad was so choked up over it, he hasn’t spoken of the incident since it happened over a year ago.
silenus, poor kitty for being in the wrong place at the wrong time poor you for having the bad luck to be a witness to it. It wasn’t your fault, but I know that doesn’t make it easier.
Sometimes I wish I had a stone heart.
On the bright side, I’m sure Spooky is somewhere, being shown around by Downtown Spot Brown, the greatest cat to ever walk the earth.
Peace to you and yours.
Maybe there’s a noise that’ll make them really scatter-- like pennies in a soda can? My two skeddadle away from the door when they hear my keys jangle.
As has been mentioned, there’s not much more you could have done, other than to keep them all inside, and even then the little devils sneak out. Raise a toast to little Spooky and try not to feel too bad for too long.
Man, that does suck – but tragic accidents do happen. A friend of mine had someone on his street do that exact thing once, and I was told it wasn’t a pretty sight at all.
I’d think honking the horn prior to starting would probably startle any critters out of their hiding places.
One day I got very angry with AdoptaSon and was pushing my way through all of the crap in his bedroom while hollering at the top of my lungs (Og - teen boys bedrooms are RANK). Anyway, I shoved - HARD - a chair out of the way and it toppled over, smushing a kitty :eek: I still remember the look on my sons face and you can bet I try to keep a better hold on my temper now.
About three years ago I had two momcats, with a total of five kittens, hiding under mine and the neighbor’s porch.
One morning I ran over a kitten as I backed the car out(it was still dark) to go to work. Poor thing died at once, but it’s momma came running. I didn’t think about it the next morning and the same damn thing happened, although this time I had to finish the kitten off. Then I threw up copiously in the alley. After that I got a cage trap from Animal Control, and got them all, or nearly all.
I’m so sorry you had to go through this silenus. I know what you feel like, and even though it’s nobody’s fault it still hurts like hell.
Some friends of mine killed their puppy with a recliner. The husband got up and the foot rest folded back in and crushed the poor little thing. They were utterly heartbroken.
Jaysus man, that’s a horrible thing to have happen, and I’m sorry you had to deal with it. When…WHEN will the car industry realize it needs to kitten-proof our vehicles? You should sue.
Thump on the hood a few times.
It’s a little unusual to have this happen in the summer. It’s usually something they do when it’s cold out and the engines are still a little warm.
At least it was small enough that it didn’t suffer. We had a black cat named Shadow when I was in my early teens, one cold morning he decided to warm himself on the engine block in Dad’s car. Dad ended up having my sister’s boyfriend shoot the kitty.
