I was waiting in a line of cars at a long signal, and what looked like a black squirrel came bounding out of a parking lot to my right. It ran through the stopped traffic and into an open lane, where it was promptly run over by a car. I then realized it wasn’t a squirrel, but a black kitten.
I and several other horrified drivers got to witness the poor thing’s death throes, as the light was still red. It kicked and thrashed for a good thirty seconds before it died. Terrible thing to see on your homeward commute. This is the second time I’ve seen a cat crushed by a car and it’s going to haunt me for a long time.
If I ever own a kitty, you had better believe it’s going to be an indoor cat.
Poor cat. I’m sorry, teela - that’s a hell of a thing to have to see. Sounds like there was nothing anyone could have done, though.
We had lived in the city for several years and had indoor/outdoor kitties. One morning, Hallboy and I went out to get into the car to go to work/daycare and my most favorite kitty, Katie, was laying on the side of the road, having been struck by a car.
That was about six years ago and I still feel guilty as hell for letting her out. You can bet that from that second on, all the remaining kitties were indoor only. I never, ever want to go through that again. And the guilt…the guilt just about kills me, even today.
Poor little thing. I’m so, so sorry you had to witness that.
Years ago, I saw a badly injured, but not dead, kitten as I was exiting a parking lot. Poor thing was right in the center of where traffic comes and goes and had obviously been struck. It wasn’t moving, but was mewing. I saw a young woman at the nearest sidewalk looking and smiling at him, and as I drove away I saw her go to him. I hoped she would do something about it, but I fear it seemed more like, “Aw, look how cute! Oh, it’s almost dead. Gross!” :::flee:::
Our kitties are both strictly indoor, though they bolt for an open door given a chance.