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Cat Forum / General Topics / July 2003the death of my cat
This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of them) from Istanbul to Portugal, to get into the passport for pets scheme, and are now living in the UK. We've been here since the end of April living in his childhood home where his mother used to have 3 cats that all lived into their 20s. They used to go in and out of the house all the time, night and day. It's a quiet suburban area and there really isn't much traffic at all. The most difficult thing is that we brought the cats with us to the UK in order to give them a better life and then this happened. Geri (the mother cat) was a stray and we started to feed her when we were living on a university campus located in a forest in the outskirts of Istanbul. She soon showed up pregnant and so we did everything we could to take good care of her, but she would often wander off. She hated being kept in and even managed to break the screen on the window to get outside. One day we noticed that she was no longer pregnant and looked all over the faculty housing area for her kittens. We couldn't find them and assumed that they had died or had possibly been killed. About 5 weeks later she showed up at our door with the 4 kittens. They were absolutely gorgeous. We did try to put them up for adoption, but no one responded to our ad, and at the same time we were growing more and more attached to them and couldn't imagine a life without them. My husband needed to return to the UK so we went to Portugal in order to not have to put the cats into quarantine. THis is part of the Passport for Pets scheme. I just can't believe that now that we have the cats in a fantastic environment, a house as opposed to an apartment (they love running up and down the stairs) a nice fenced in garden, which unfortunately they are able to climb up and jump over, this has happened. The kittens are 2 years old now, the mother is about 3 or 4 according to the vet. Poor Russell, one of the most handsome cats I have ever seen if I say so myself, had to have his life snatched away from him just when the best years were beginning. The cats were used to being indoor/outdoor cats (out all day and in at night), except when we were in Portugal and never let them out because we lived in a busy area. We were following our previous routine with them here in the UK but have now decided we're not going to let the others out anymore unless we take them out on leashes because we're so scared of this happening again. Has anyone had experience of turning indoor/outdoor cats into indoor cats and with using leashes? These cats are not passive housecats, they love to hunt and climb. Any ideas for keeping them entertained? The only toy they seem to like is the rabbit fur mice that are sold on petsmart.com. Also, anyone in the UK or Europe have cat furniture (gyms, trees, etc) I've found a couple of sites that are located in the UK, but most seem to be in the USA. I'm worried that they'll love the novelty of it but then soon grow bored and never use the stuff. Crying my eyes out, PCB > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > Crying my eyes out, > PCB I am so sorry. I lost a couple of my cats this way too in the last year and I live on a very quiet country lane. I have installed a cat flap which is 4 way locking and now make mine come in at duskk and stay in all night. They hated it at first but are now used to it.This seems to have worked (touch wood). My cats got run over early morning or after dark so if I keep them in at those times I hope they have a better chance.The 4 way cat flap mean I can lock it so a cat can come in, but not go out again which means any stragglers come in eventually and are safe. > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. <big snip> > Crying my eyes out, > PCB So, so sorry to hear this. Very sorry to hear of your lose. You are in our purrs. Hi PCB , I'm so sorry about your cat . You can add a hang over to the top of your fence to stop your cats leaving the garden . The Cats Protection has a good leaflet about cats and gardens . http://www.cats.org.uk/htm/home.htm -- Alison Photos of dogs needing homes and links to Rescues. http://mysite.freeserve.com/AnimalRescueLinksUK Links to animal information websites http://mysite.freeserve.com/petinfolinks > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > Crying my eyes out, > PCB > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > Crying my eyes out, > PCB I'm sooo sorry. That is very sad. Since you have a walled garden, maybe you could get someone to fix up the top like they do at this site www.catfencein.com to keep them in the garden. Once again my condolences on your loss, Karen pcb wrote in message ... > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was >hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >all the time, night and day. It's a quiet suburban area and there >really isn't much traffic at all. I'm so sorry to hear about the death of your cat. :( My cat, Mysty, (named after grey mist, and at first thought of as a female, as in Misty), has been missing since April. We honestly don't know if he's dead or alive, but most likely has been hit by a car as your Russell. It's heartbreaking for me because I always see the calico cat that he played with in our yard. She's spayed and declawed and stops by the house and yard daily. I never thought I had anything to worry about, either, as Mysty was more of an outside cat and did he ever love the outdoors! We found him living under our backporch and began feeding and taming him. Soon he became more of an inside/outside cat, but still loved the outdoors and wanted to go outside. We kept him in the house for feeding times, a long afternoon nap, and after supper from about 9:30 P.M. Despite Mysty's intentions, I always kept him in at night. I live on a cul-de-sac, a turn-around dead end street, with lots of woods beyond my house for over 1/2 a mile. There is no other street next to mine and the next adjacent property is a school, playground, and church. The longest Mysty went missing was about 38 hours back in February. He appeared at the back door at about 3:00 A.M., after a mild snowstorm. Mysty always returned home, except for that fateful day in April. He was just sitting on a wicker chair with cushion on the porch, got off, started walking around the backyard that afternoon, and never returned home again. Sometimes it helps in your sorrow to read posts by others in similar situations. Here the calico is still roaming the neighbors' yards and the street, and, believe me, many a time she walked in front of my car while crossing. I had to slow down and hit my brakes several times. But Mysty, the streetwise cat, isn't around anymore. Now I have two kittens that I've adopted, and they are growing and getting more curious by the day. Cindy meows and looks at the doors and Lucy just scratches doors or windows with both paws. They see me working outside, exiting and entering the house, and are smart enought to know, now, that they can go out, too. The vet told me to keep them in the house. I've decided to do so, now, because I don't want them to become infested with fleas and they are still quite young. I'm also determined to train them to a harness and leash. I never got Mysty neutered, and if I had, he would have stayed closer to home, so I blame myself for his demise. I feel guilty for erring in judgment and not doing the right thing soon enough. I also tend to be very overprotective of the new kittens because of Mysty. Please accept my condolences on the loss of your cat. I am so sorry for your loss. Please look this link over for some future tips; http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/indoors.html " > I am so sorry for your loss. Please look this link over for some future > tips; http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/indoors.html > " Excellent site! MaryL > pcb wrote in message ... > > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > > Yeah, my last cat disappeared too, probably for the same reason. Back then i lived in a studio apartment in a complex that had many cats, some of them left by renters who decided to disappear themselves. My best friend did that, abandoning his two cats when he split town. I couldn't believe he would act so irresponsibly; was so mad i helped Midtown Rental track him down when they called me for info about him. Anyway, my cat was named Poco, and i never did get him neutered. As he grew up he wanted out, and i would let him out. He'd usually stay out all night, meowing to get in at 3 or 4 in the morning. One evening i left him out ----- and he never returned. He was tagged, so if someone saw him, they knew who he was and could've called the phone number. not sure if he got hit, kidnapped, or just decided to move on down the road. If he were neutered, he likely would have stayed close to home. Perhaps this would work for women with wayward husbands, ha ha; take a lesson from Lorena Bobbit and --- no, we won't go there. The damnedest thing happened about seven months after Poco disappeared though. It was about midnight in early January, the weather fairly frigid. I was snug and warm in bed talking to a friend on the phone, when i heard a meow, very close. The meow repeated several times. I looked around the apartment and then opened the door and called Poco's name several times, but the meowing had stopped, and it was very dark out so visibility was pretty nonexistent. To this day I wonder of Poco had tried to come home from wherever he had been. About the cat tree, I am entirely sure your cats won't ever get tired of it, for two reasons: cats never get tired of scratching things, and they also never get tired of looking out the window. the cat i have now will launch herself off my bed onto the windowsill. She's slowly destroying the plastic blind, because she impacts with the force of your average projectiles. I'll be coming into a good chunk of money in a week or so, and believe me, I'm gonna get her a good cat tree and put it right next to the window so she can just climb up it and walk peaceably onto the sill. -- Visit my new webpage - http://mywebpage.netscape.com/Aeris5000/cats.html jake blues wrote in message ... >> Yeah, my last cat disappeared too, probably for the same reason. Back then >i lived in a studio apartment in a complex that had many cats, some of them [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >and i never did get him neutered. As he grew up he wanted out, and i would >let him out. He'd usually stay out all night, meowing to get in at 3 or 4 in >the morning. Mysty always returned by about 9:30 P.M. and I never let him out again until the next morning, as I heard coyotes howling very late at night and stories about pet victims to the coyotes. One evening i left him out ----- and he never returned. He was >tagged, so if someone saw him, they knew who he was and could've called the >phone number. not sure if he got hit, kidnapped, or just decided to move on >down the road. Myst disappeared at about 4:00 P.M., one sunny, moderately warm afternoon in April. He wasn't tagged and I never expected him to just leave or disappear, as it never happened before, except for that one night that he didn't return in February, but he did show up on our back porch the next day. If he were neutered, he likely would have stayed close to >home. Perhaps this would work for women with wayward husbands, ha ha; take a >lesson from Lorena Bobbit and --- no, we won't go there. Ha, very funny, but your husband would be impotent, and I'm not sure if women would be accepting of this, but hey, you never know, as some women would prefer a faithful husband who doesn't roam and forget the sex life. ;) That's another reason I failed to get him neutered. Mysty never sprayed in the house and he was more of a house/inside cat than an outside cat that entire winter and spring before he left. He was such a great cat, never getting into fights, always in good spirits, healthy, etc.. and very accepting of all the neighborhood cats. It's really sad. I kept putting off the neutering because in a way I felt it was a traumatic thing to do and I did read about males having urinary problems if they get the operation too soon. Well, put it this way, I don't trust a lot of the doctors or vets and many times money comes into the equation or the fact that it's just an animal with a limited lifespan and there are so many kittens/cats to be adopted, so we'll do what's convenient or best for our lifestyles, human society, and the local population. >The damnedest thing happened about seven months after Poco disappeared >though. It was about midnight in early January, the weather fairly frigid. I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >nonexistent. To this day I wonder of Poco had tried to come home from >wherever he had been. Aw, you should have checked to see if it was Poco! I used to leave the backporch light on for Mysty all night, but I stopped doing it when I thought it was a waste of electricity. I continue to look out for him, calling him once in a while, looking for him while driving, and putting out some of my old clothes. >About the cat tree, I am entirely sure your cats won't ever get tired of it, >for two reasons: cats never get tired of scratching things, and they also [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >gonna get her a good cat tree and put it right next to the window so she can >just climb up it and walk peaceably onto the sill. My new kittens were scratching a piece of firewood that I keep by the fireplace. One of my ideas would be to visit a place like a home and garden store that sells firewood, ask the owner for a large piece that looks more like a tree, and have them saw the firewood straight across, if it isn't even and can't stand. You could place it in your home as it cures, and it would make a great scratching post. On Thu, 03 Jul 2003 13:39:05 +0100, pcb cried forth... > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > all the time, night and day. It's a quiet suburban area and there > really isn't much traffic at all. Sorry to hear about that, really bad news. <snip> > Also, anyone in the UK or Europe have cat furniture (gyms, trees, etc) > I've found a couple of sites that are located in the UK, but most seem > to be in the USA. I'm worried that they'll love the novelty of it but > then soon grow bored and never use the stuff. Try looking on www.hi-pet.com, they are based a couple of miles from where I live.  SignatureLesley Un-cork me to reply > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. I'm so sorry for your loss pcb. Russell will always be with you, and you with him. Dee pcbnyc@yahoo.co.uk writes > This past Saturday in the late >afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was >hit by a car and killed instantly...It's >a quiet suburban area and there >really isn't much traffic at all. I am so sorry for your loss. Although it's been documented by hundreds of posts (and shown on Animal Planet, etc.) people continue to allow their cats to roam. Apparently, these people believe that:there cats can: read street signs, walk/don't walk signs, tell the difference between red & green lights, look both ways before crossing, know NOT to drink/ingest (poison) antifreeze/coolant and other poisons, defend themselves completely against wild animal, large dogs and demented humans. I don't know why people allow it. > pcbnyc@yahoo.co.uk writes > > This past Saturday in the late >afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > antifreeze/coolant and other poisons, defend themselves completely against wild > animal, large dogs and demented humans. I don't know why people allow it. And I would like to add one more item -- in addition to providing safety when your cat is kept indoors, you are also being kind to your neighbors. I love cats, but I do not enjoy having my neighbors' cats in my yard. It is annoying for my own cats when they see those "intruders," and I sometimes have feelings of guilt for providing such a sanctuary for birds when I see the neighbor cats using my yard as a smorgasbord. I have been pretty successful as "cat-proofing" my bird feeders, but there isn't much I can do about ground-feeding birds and bird baths. So, it seems to me, that indoor cats are more protected and they also make for better neighborhood relationships among people. MaryL Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of Duffy's integration into our household): Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54 Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56 pcb <pcbnyc@yahoo.co.uk> wrote on Thu, 3 Jul 2003: > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was >hit by a car and killed instantly. This is a very sad story especially as you've come such a long way. It's always terrible when a kitty gets killed by traffic and it happens so often. But sometimes it's better to know the bad news rather than when they go missing for weeks or never come home at all. So, so sorry about the bad news and there're a few tears on this keyboard too. >The most difficult thing is that we brought the cats with us to the UK >in order to give them a better life and then this happened. Risks are all over the place - for you, me and your cats. But at least you did everything to keep them happy while they were with you. This sounds little consolation but mortality is part of life for all of us. Sadly for Russell it was earlier. I hope I'm not being insensitive. Hold onto your memories. Cat's are better than any tissue and they don't mind a bit of damp fur. Take care. XXX SignatureJames Re: cat trees/furnitureIn my experience, they love the top layers the best. It isn't hard to build your own with 2x4s and plywood. Home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes in the US have all kinds of things that can be incorporated for fun & inexpensively. Circular wood pieces that can be used for variety in platforms, and wide heavy duty circular cardboard (called Builder's tube here) for tunnels. Your imagination is your limit. The main problem I find (having multiple cats) is the ones you can buy don't have large enough platforms. Building your own, you can make platforms large enough for more than one cat. You should also look into cat fencing. Doesn't allow cats to get over the top. Your husband may be able to adapt your own fence -- a home-made version, and that might help in the future. Sorry for your loss:-( > This past Saturday in the late afternoon one of our cats, Russell, was > hit by a car and killed instantly. My husband and I moved our cats (5 of [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > Crying my eyes out, > PCB pcb : Crying my eyes out, .. I would be too, what an awful shame, please accept my sypmathies for your sad loss.. -- Wendy www.pet-rescue.org.uk > pcb > : Crying my eyes out, I know how you are feeling PCB, only this week we had to have our cat, Pushkin, euthanised because she had cancer which finally got the better of her. It is the one of the most traumatic experiences I have ever had. my thoughts and love are with you. JD > I know how you are feeling PCB, only this week we had to have our cat, > Pushkin, euthanised because she had cancer which finally got the > better of her. It is the one of the most traumatic experiences I have > ever had. I'm sorry for your loss JD. I understand how hard it is to lose one of the little ones. Dee I'm so sorry about your cat; we lost a cat right before Christmas, and it was truly heartbreaking, so I certainly understand your sorrow. I'm very lucky because the two we have now were kept indoors for the first two years til I could afford their feline leukemia shot as well as their regular ones, and consequently, got wary of the front where the cars are, and only go out in the back garden (other than to poke their heads out front if the door's open and run back in before I close it). But the one that got killed was a rescued stray, and he was use to wandering; he disappeared for three weeks, and came back with a hole in his shoulder. Now we wish we'd gotten him checked out, but at the time, I assumed it was just a bite, even though my husband mentioned a pellet, cuz the same had happened to another cat I had (thought it was a pellet wound, but x-ray showed it wasn't, vet said it must just be a bite). I cleaned and medicated the wound, and he healed up alright, but about a month later, he was really struggling to breath, and we took him in to the vet next day. Turns out he *was* shot, and it went through both lungs and lodged next to his rib. I guess the wounds had tried to heal, but must have gotten infected, because his lungs and abdomen were both filled with fluid (she didn't even know how that happened, because they're not connected), and his bladder was filled with blood. We couldn't even *try* to save him, because we made the awful mistake of not yet getting him insured because we weren't sure he was going to stick around, though she try to make us feel less guilty by telling us he was so bad off, he probably wouldn't have made it anyway. Still, I so wish we could have tried, same as we'd do with anyone we loved. He was only a little boy, too, no more than about a year old, and a real love. We buried him in our back garden, and I made him a little wooden cross from some old tree branches. Anyway, I'm sorry to turn this round to my sad story, but just wanted you to know you're not alone in mourning the tragic loss of a kitty, I very much know how you feel. Warmest Regards, Ann Ann, this is another reason why cats are far better off living indoors. There are so many evil cat-hating humans that think nothing of shooting a cat if it comes on their property. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/indoors.html "bewtifulfreak" > I'm so sorry about your cat; we lost a cat right before Christmas, and it > was truly heartbreaking, so I certainly understand your sorrow. I'm very [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Warmest Regards, > Ann >Ann, this is another reason why cats are far better off living indoors. >There are so many evil cat-hating humans that think nothing of shooting a >cat if it comes on their property. There are evil child hating people about. You should keep your children chained in the basement for safety. > Ann, this is another reason why cats are far better off living indoors. > There are so many evil cat-hating humans that think nothing of shooting a > cat if it comes on their property. > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/indoors.html Oh, I know, it's so terrible....that's why I ended up keeping my cats in California inside, because two of my kitties went missing, and I was in a very urban area. The only reason I let these two out is because they only go out back, away from the street, and tend to stay in ours and the neighbors back gardens, and I'm not worried about either of our neighbors. There are places they could wander a bit farther, and I suppose there is a risk of another neighbor not wanting them on their garden and harming them, but because they've always stayed so close to home, and really enjoyed it, I've felt comfortable enough to let them out. But believe me, I know it's often not worth the risk; I was very torn at first, about whether to let them out or not, because they seemed so bored. But when it turned out they stayed away from the street and only went out back, I was thrilled, because I felt like that was a great compromise. I guess we should have been more careful with Gaspode (the little guy who got shot), but he had lived outside all his life, it didn't feel fair, especially since the others were going out, though I guess it would have been better than being shot.... :\ Ann |
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