Well that was a bit ****..

Finished work at 12.30, me and my colleague Carl were walking up the hill towards home, busy road it is, we noticed a small cat in the wall, presumed it was dead. We'd seen one a few weeks back on the same journey. But today Carl said "it's moving" and so we went closer and it was, it was still alive. Bones protruding from its rear legs, front legs skin torn off in places, cat was breathing really hard/fast and being a HUGE animal lover I felt ******* awful, ******* sad. It started to piss it down at this point and I said to Carl "I'm not leaving it" and he agreed. So I phoned my missus' sister. She's a farmer and can access a vet 24/7, she'd be straight down to help. Couldn't get through, voicemail. So googled RSPCA after me and Carl discussed for 30 seconds whether they'd send an 'animal ambulance' or summat. Thought **** it, what choice do we have?

Googled it, found the number and pressed call. Turns out it was the charity number, and I needed to call a different number. So calls this other number, woman took a few details then told me she'd connect me to another number, would be a couple of minutes, and they'd take it from there. All the while, this little cat is in ******* agony, gasping for breath, and Carl's doing his best to stop it from trying to get up and walk. Killing me just recalling it, poor little thing. Was awful. Anyway, I'm on hold, with an automated voice telling me how great the RSPCA is. For twenty basterd minutes. Finally, a woman answers, asks for the same details I've already given the other woman, then says "if you can stay with the animal we'll have someone out there as soon as we can".

I then phoned the missus, explained I'd be late home, explained why etc. She said she'd try and call her sister again. Cat is now breathing much slower, it's pissing it down, and then (it's a busy main road, hundreds of cars have gone past, none giving a ****) our gaffer drives by, windows down says "what you two tramps doing?". "**** off, Mick."

Missus rings me back, her sister's on her way, she'll be five minutes. Where we are is also smack outside a primary school, so we've little kids peering through the fence asking us questions, but they can't see over the wall so can't see the cat. We decide against giving them details before a teacher comes over asking us why we're talking to kids through the fence... we explain, she comes rushing around, she owns a grey and white kitten...

It's not hers, but she's in bits anyway, crying but trying to simultaneously tell the kids to move back from the fence. It's all a bit ******* much after 7 hours at work, int rain, being an animal lover. I try to comfort the cat, stroking it, talking to it. "It's not breathing Andy". Looks to the left, missus' sister is here. "It's dead, Lisa". Gutted. But wait, its head's moving, jerking forward. "It's still alive" I said. "It's not" she says. Apparently it's just reflexes/muscle movement. Gutted, again.

We wrapped it in a towel, into a box, put it on the back seat. I was doing my best not to cry. Struggling. Gets in the car, and I've left her to it at the vets. Hopefully it'll be chipped and the owners can be notified. Just had a brew, and a little cry. Needed to share it with folk, unload it or summat.

I give to RSPCA out of my wages every month. Not sure why now.

Luckily, I've never found a dying human being and had to phone 999 or whatever, had to wait etc or owt like that. If it's anything like that experience, I hope I never have to.

For those who think "it's only a cat" or whatever, just walk on past etc. Couldn't do it. Yes it died, but I had to try to do summat. It'd have bothered me otherwise.
Because me and the missus work same hours, we drop our dog off at the farm (her sisters) on a morning, better for him to be there outside with other dogs and animals than stuck in the house for 8 hours. But when he comes home in half hour, I'm going to give him a bigger hug than normal.

No apologies for being such a soft basterd.

RIP little puss tat.

 

Christ, sorry to hear that. Can't say I'd have reacted any differently emotion-wise. At least it spent it's last minutes being stroked/looked after.

 

That's what I'm telling myself, at least it wasn't left alone to die.

Anyway.... up the reds and that.

 

That's awful. No apology needed. I'd have done the same and been the same as you. Take comfort in knowing you did all you could.

 

I want to be angry at whoever hit it and drove off, but it was a small cat and maybe they didn't realise they'd hit owt. **** knows. ******* hundreds of cars drove past, rubber necking, no fcuker stops though. It's only a cat...

 

I'd be wanting to be angry too. Don't dwell on it though mate, nowt you can do.

The human race can often be disappointing.

 

Aye, I'll have a few beers tonight, watch Rugby and back at work tomorrow. Be reight.

 

You did the right thing my friend, as a cat owner myself I could cry myself

 

Good man. Most people don't even have compassion to help their own kind these days, so they probably couldn't care less about "just a cat" either. It's sad, but you did everything that you could, and a lot more than 99% of people would have done, so I hope that that gives you some comfort. Thanks for sharing the story.

 

Cos I'm idle, I like to sometimes just click 'Like' or 'Thanks' to posts. But neither seem to cut the mustard here. Parts I liked, but clicking Like seems crass. Thanks just doesn't seem right either, as it's quite an upsetting story. Parts needed a 'Dislike' too, but..... ah, you get my drift.

Good on you Whitey for what you tried to do. I was hoping for a happy ending there - although the title of the thread should have told me pretty much the outcome straight away.

 

Mad day.

Missus has just got home, she'd got a labrador with her, but not ours. She found it on the road. It had a tag on so we've just reunited it with its owner a few streets away.

 

I''ve always found the RSPA to be useless as well, but there's the PDSA and Cats Protection you can give your money to instead.

 

Not sure where you were at the time, but a lot of vets will take walk-in emergencies. It might have been the quickest way to get it help.

Had to take our oldest cat for the one-way trip to the vets on Monday, which is never easy

 

I was a half an hour (brisk) walk away from the nearest vets unfortunately.

 

can I just say this sir

you have my total respect sir.... sometimes you have posted some rubbish and been slagged for it. But this event has shown what a very good and fine person you are. Top man

I agree it was a bad thing to have witnessed and lived through, but your actions were truly humane and caring, I again take my hat off to you.
I hope that your emotions recover fully and wish you well.

 

Chin up fella, you should be proud of your efforts despite the sad outcome, at least you stopped and gave the cat some of your time and it wasn't alone in its final moments.

Proud of you!

 

Re: can I just say this sir

Liar.

 

I did, Fi. Just **** that I couldn't save it.