NEWS/OPINION – UK: Metro.co.uk reports that Love Island ‘star’ Molly Mae – sorry they are not stars which is why I have put the word in inverted commas – has pleaded with her followers and readers of her social media pages for drivers to look out for animals on the road. This is because her cat has been hit by a car.
She says:
Please look for cats in the road when you’re driving and be SO careful. I’ll be absolutely devastated if he doesn’t make it.
The sentiment is fine and noble. But it is entirely impractical and misplaced. I am sorry to say. Drivers will not give a flying four X about cats on the road until they are on top of the cat and have killed him/her.
It is just the way life works. People don’t drive down a road thinking that there might be a cat somewhere who is about to dart out into the road. Perhaps I am being a bit harsh. Let’s say 1% of drivers will be concerned about that possibility but 99% won’t.
The reason why your cat has been hit by a car is because you let him wander around outside and there is a road not far away. That sounds harsh too but it is the reality of the situation.
You can’t blame drivers. And you can’t plead with drivers to watch out for cats. What you can do it take charge yourself and keep your cat inside if you live near a road and if you have a garden build a cat confinement fence around it. Make your home as stimulating as possible for your cat.
All cat owners who let their cat go outside in the UK are taking a risk on behalf of their cat and there is always the possibility that one day he won’t come back and will be on the side of road under a bush dying or dead. They have to digest and accept that plain fact before deciding how to discharge their responsibilities as a cat guardian.
Cat owners know the risk and if they don’t they should. Too many Brits let their cats outside in wholly inappropriate areas where there are main roads and heavy traffic. George Osborne the UK’s Chancellor some time ago was one of those people. It is time for Brits to think out of the box and about cat safety.
[box background=#FFFACD align=center border=true border_rule=’border-css’ border_radius=4 color=#000 margin=1 padding=1 shadow=1 style=’style-rules’ width=80]Two associated pages:
Kitten crosses a busy road and ‘climbs’ a police officer who was directing traffic after a wreck
