Strange question. Cats and cars. Looking for answers

[chaucer]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for my question. I wasn't even sure how to title this.  Admins, if necessary please move it to the appropriate forum. Readers, please bare with me. Brief background of me -I have three rescues who are all indoors, and have a couple of threads in other forums about the rescues. One is in FIV and one or two in ferals.

Yesterday, I ran over a cat in my own carport. Needless to say that as a cat lover I was distraught and in shock yesterday, and am sad today.   The cat died just a couple of minutes after the accident, and it was horrible to see. A kind man - a stranger passing by- helped me by burying the little cat in my backyard and cleaning my carport floor.  I am so thankful for his kindness as I had no one to help me. He was a miracle walking.

On reflection of this awful accident, something puzzled me and here is my question about it:  Why did this cat not run from under the car when I went outside, opened and closed the car door and then started the engine?  This would be the usual behavior.  It is hot here, but it was not even 8:00 AM so it was not as hot at this time. It was an unfamiliar cat so I was a stranger to it. A cat running off as soon as the back door opened would have been the norm.   She, I believe, was  on the thin side, from my quick view (I couldn't look at it dying), she appeared to be young and of the same type as a few of the ferals in the neighborhood. I wonder if she was deaf. My heart is breaking.

I guess I'm searching for answers. Thanks..

 

[Norachan]

Hi Chaucer,

What a horrible thing to happen. I'm so sorry.

Actually I think this kind of accident is quite common. I know of at least 2 feral kittens that were killed this way and a few years ago my husband ran over one of the feral cats we feed in similar circumstances.

I think what happens is that if a feral cat hears people coming close by they try to hide. If the cat was already in the wheel arch of the car they would try to get under the car bonnet rather than running away. Even loud noises such as the door shutting or the engine starting wouldn't make them move until it was too late. Of course, as soon as the car is moving and they try to escape they fall under the wheels.

These kind of accidents are so easy to prevent. If only car makers would block of access to the engine and the wheel arch with some wire mesh a lot of cats would be saved.

Thank you for stopping to bury the little one, it was a very kind thing for you to do.

 

[di and bob]

She may have been injured and couldn't move fast enough. been deaf, or froze with fear. My heart goes out to you, you couldn't have known this was going to happen, and it takes a long time for your heart to heal from something like this. It was a tragic accident. Be so thankful it wasn't a child, almost always we don't think to check around our cars before we get in and tragedies do happen. I've looked in my back up camera several times to see one of my strays standing there, so I understand how something like this could happen.   I'm thankful that she didn't suffer for long, it could have been so much worse. In the winter I always bang on my hood if the engine is warm, cats seek out the warmth of the engine. We've had them in there more than once. You might try this when you get into the car, it usually scares them away. I've felt sick to my stomach for a long time when I find a cat in the road and have to bury it, our road is traveled heavily and most aren't paying any attention to their driving, it breaks my heart. I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers, you have a big heart to suffer from something you didn't mean to do. 

 

[chaucer]

@Norachan    Thank you.  I'm so sorry this happened to your husband.  It was horrible. I saw the poor thing's death throes. I've never seen anything like this. I was in shock. So thankful for the man who stopped to see what was wrong, comforted me, asked for a shovel and buried the cat. He bleached and washed my carport too.  I don't feed the cats so much now that it is summer, although there might have been a few crumbs from my neighbor's two who come for breakfast - I don't think they get fed so much any longer. They were gone, but they are also afraid of cars. I wasn't expecting a cat to be there, and this was an unfamiliar one. I was so glad it wasn't one of them.

@Di and Bob   Thank you for your reply. It is awful, and I don't have a rear-view camera in my car to double-check.  This happened with the front tire as I was backing out into the drive. I live on a busy street, too. I admire you for stopping to bury cats you see. I don't have the stomach for even looking at them.  I think that man was sent at a time I needed help.