What to do if a cat is hit by a car
On this page you’ll learn what to do if you find an injured cat or cat involved in a car accident, guidance if you’ve hit a cat with your car and what to do with a dead cat.
Each day, an average of 630 cats are involved in road traffic accidents in the UK. With your help, they have a better chance of survival.
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How to help cats in accidents and emergency situations
If you’ve found a cat that’s been hit by a car in a road accident, you need to:
1. Stay safe and calm
Before helping, ensure you’re away from danger, such as a busy road or train track, and don’t put yourself at risk to help the cat. Meanwhile, try to stay calm. This will help you make clearer decisions, and also help to keep the cat calm.
2. Move the cat safely
When it’s safe for you to do so, try to stop oncoming traffic, or signal for cars to slowly go around you.
Approach from a direction where the cat can see you, speak to them gently, avoid sudden movements and move the cat away from the road onto a flat and firm surface out of harm’s way.
If you have access to one, carefully slide a board beneath the cat to move them, making it easier for you and gentler on them. A jacket, towel or other long material can be used as a stretcher.
Lift the cat with one hand beneath their back legs, and the other hand under their chest. Keep their body level and hold them straight and on their side. Try not to move their body more than necessary, as this can worsen their injuries.
Remember: The cat may scratch or bite if they’re scared or in pain. If possible, use a towel or blanket to gently wrap or cover the cat before picking them up. This can help protect both you and the cat.
3. Check for injury
When you’re both safely out of danger, look for any bleeding, signs of broken bones, difficulty breathing and obvious wounds. Even if the cat doesn’t have an obvious sign of injury, they may be suffering from internal damage and may still require medical attention.
4. Take them to a vet immediately
If you’re able to, transport the cat to the nearest vet, calling ahead to let them know you’re coming. They may be able to provide more advice over the phone.
If you have one, place the cat in a rescue box in your car to keep them safe and secure while driving. (Learn how to make a wildlife rescue box here so you’re ready to help other animals in the future.)
Even if you’ve found an injured cat, but you’re unsure how they were injured, getting them to the vet swiftly and safely can increase their chances of survival. If in doubt – contact a vet.
With quick action and vet treatment, cats in road accidents may have a higher chance of recovering. By acting fast, you may save their life.
5. Find the owner
At the vet, they will scan the cat for a microchip and, if they have one, contact the owner to let them know what’s happened. If the cat doesn’t have a microchip, this doesn’t necessarily mean the cat is unowned. While it’s a legal requirement for pet cats over 20 weeks old to be microchipped, the cat may be younger than 20 weeks or the chip may not have been registered. This could also mean the cat is a stray, feral or farm cat. You can ask around the area where you found the cat, check online, post on social media, contact your local RSPCA or register the cat on Animal Search UK.
Unable to get near to or catch the cat?
If the cat is in immediate danger or severely injured, but you can’t catch them or get close enough to try, ring us on 0300 123 8960.
Note: Vets won’t charge you for any treatment to the injured cat if they’re not yours.
Important: In some situations the cat may run off. This doesn’t mean they’re uninjured, just very frightened. If you’re able and it’s safe to, try calmly searching for the cat, especially in small spaces they can hide in (severely wounded cats may not have been able to get far or be able to jump or climb). If you find the cat, take them to the vet immediately, following our advice above.
Can't tell if the cat is injured?
If you’ve found a cat but can’t tell if they’re obviously injured, first check them for signs of pain and less obvious or internal injury, including:
- Bleeding
- Obvious wounds or swelling
- Breathing problems or unusually fast breathing
- Limping
- Stiff limbs
- Pale gums
- Weakness or collapse
- Trembling
- Blood-tinged fluid coming from their nose or mouth
Injured cats may also be showing signs of shock that include:
- Cold feet and ears
- Rapid pulse
- Vomiting
- Lethargy and/or confusion
- Shallow or rapid breathing
Cats in pain may growl, cry or try to protect the area of their body that hurts.
Cats in road traffic accidents can suffer from:
- Head injuries
- Internal injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal injuries
- Broken bones
- Wounds (from minor to severe)
- Ruptured diaphragm
Pregnant or lactating cats in traffic accidents
If you think the injured cat is pregnant, follow the same advice as above. Calmly approach the cat, carefully move her to safety, check for injury and take her to the vet as soon as possible. Try not to press forcefully down on her stomach, to avoid causing harm. A swollen or large belly can be a sign of pregnancy, but it can also have other causes, so a vet should assess her rather than trying to determine whether she is pregnant yourself.
If you think the injured cat is lactating, carefully check to see if her nipples are enlarged – if they are, she may be nursing kittens. If so, follow the above advice, and be mindful that there may be kittens nearby that rely on their mother for milk, warmth and care. Get the mum to the vets as soon as possible. If you’re with someone else, ask them to search for and safely retrieve all the kittens, and bring them to the vet to be with their mother.
What to do if you hit a cat
Cats can appear out of nowhere, leaving you with little time to safely react. Sadly, accidents can and often do happen. While it might not be your fault – it is now your responsibility.
Never drive off and leave the cat
It may be difficult to face the situation, but getting the cat to safety and veterinary care could save their life. Abandoning the cat may mean they might suffer and that their owner may never know what happened to them, being left heartbroken and grieving with so many unanswered questions. Do the right thing and help the cat.
If you’re able and it’s safe to, take the cat to the vet
Call to let them know you’re coming or to ask for advice. Try to keep them calm and handle them gently, following our advice above.
Remember
By stopping to help and taking them to a vet, you’re giving the cat a second chance at survival. You may have hit the cat by accident, but rescuing them is intentional, and can mean the difference between life and death.
Cats can be strong, intelligent and independent – many live well without much help from us. However, when they're sick, injured, in danger or lost we should do all we can to help them.
Better laws for cats in road traffic accidents
The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that drivers are legally required to stop and report traffic accidents involving dogs, horses, cattle and other farm animals – but cats aren’t included in this list. Unfortunately, it’s still legal for drivers who've hit a cat to not stop or report the accident. This means many cats are left, abandoned and in pain, with their owners never knowing what happened to them. This needs to change immediately.
Aston Villa and England Lioness footballer, Lucy Parker, who lost her own cat, Wilma, in a car accident, has backed our calls for a change in the law. Lucy traumatically only discovered her cat’s fate after finding Wilma’s body in a bin.
Cats are cherished family members, and their welfare on the roads is not recognised enough right now. I want to use my voice to help; whether that’s urging the UK Government to act, ensuring more local authorities are scanning for cats, or helping motorists know what they should do if they're involved in a collision.
Even in tragic cases, owners are afforded peace in knowing what happened and being able to say a proper goodbye. Lucy added, “Despite the horrific circumstances, we were incredibly lucky to find Wilma, as it’s become apparent to me that not everyone is granted that same closure.”
Worried a cat is in danger?
Don’t put yourself at risk to help an animal in a dangerous location, like a road, river, railway line or clifftop. If it’s safe and you’re able to, remove the cat from the dangerous situation, and take them to a vet. If you’re unable to, call us on 0300 123 8960 or report your concern to us.
What to do if you find a dead cat
If you know who the cat belongs to, let the owner know what happened to them. If you don’t, take the cat to a local vet if possible, who may then be able to locate an owner. Log the details of the cat, such as their physical description and location, on Animal Search UK. Please avoid including any graphic details or photos out of respect for potential owners.
The cat may have been living as a stray or feral, but it’s always best to check in case they have an owner or someone who cares for them.
If you suspect the cat has been killed deliberately, contact us on 0300 123 8960.
You can also report the body to your local council, who may arrange the collection of the cat and microchip scanning.
