Drivers legally have to report if they hit a dog or goat – but not a cat
The RSPCA has supported calls for the UK Government to ensure that if someone hits a cat with their car they legally have to report this to the police.
This comes after a member of the public, Kellie Watson, launched a petition to make this mandatory in the UK after very sadly her kitten was fatally hit by a car.
The renewed call also comes after legislation was brought in last summer which made it compulsory for owners to ensure their cats are microchipped – making it much easier to report cats who have been hit by a vehicle and notify their owners by tracing the details on the chip.
David Bowles, Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA, said: “Unfortunately, if you hit a cat with your car, legally you do not have to report this to the police, although you do for other animals including dogs, pigs, horses, cattle and goats.
“We think this needs to change. Cats are just as much a part of the family as our canine friends and are also much more likely to be affected by road traffic accidents. However, in 2016, the Highways Agency agreed to scan dogs found dead on roads for microchips so their owner could be traced but the same has yet to happen for cats.
“We know the worry and distress that comes from owners never knowing what happened to their cat, the uncertainty and heartbreak of not knowing whether they’re alive or dead, or like in Kellie’s case, not being able to say goodbye. Reporting if you hit a cat with your car to the police and scanning the cat for a microchip in order to contact the owners gives them the closure they deserve.”
The RSPCA always advises people to stop, if it is safe to do, to see if they can help the cat by taking them to a vet for treatment and so they can check for a microchip, they can also knock on doors nearby and put up posters to try and find the owner.
David added: “We would strongly encourage anyone with a cat to get them microchipped and remind owners that this is now compulsory under the new law which came into effect in June last year. This means that all owned cats aged over 20 weeks need to be microchipped or owners could face a hefty fine. Owners are also required to keep their contact details up-to-date on a pet microchipping database.
“We hope the power of this tiny microchip will have a huge, positive impact on cat welfare including making it easier for people to stop if they hit a cat with their car, and making it easier to enact this vital law change to ensure that all cats hit by cars are reported to the authorities.”
Mandatory microchipping only relates to owned cats (and dogs) which means that feral and stray cats do not need to be microchipped which could make reporting if someone hit one of these kinds of felines much more difficult. However, there are an estimated 12.5 million pet cats in the UK and the RSPCA believes their owners deserve to know if they have sadly been involved in a road accident.
For more information on microchipping, visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/health/microchipping
To help support the work of the RSPCA, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give
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Gosh I thought this had to be reported in Scotland it’s about time it was made mandatory x 😽🐈⬛🐈🐾💓