Some cats that are hit by a car sadly do not survive to receive veterinary treatment. However, for those that do, the prognosis is perhaps better than you might think. In one study of 128 cats that were hit by a car, 112 were alive when they arrived at the vets. For these 112 cats the chance of survival was 84%.
The most common cause of death in cats is still the motor vehicle. But there is some good news. It's definitely getting better as more and more cats are kept inside. And not all cats die; amazingly, if cats find the strength to get home, vets can usually save them.
External injuries may include fractures, dislocations (bones moving out of place) and wounds. In some cases, there may be no injuries seen externally but internal damage has occurred. Internal injuries may include bleeding, organ rupture and bruising. Your vet may need to do further tests to detect internal damage.
For severe internal injuries, the healing process can be slow. Confining your cat to a crate may be necessary during this time if injuries are extensive enough. If a benign tumor has been removed successfully, generally the prognosis is good with a full recovery possible.
Internal Bleeding.
It is not possible to stop this type of bleeding without veterinary intervention. Signs of internal bleeding may include pale gums, shallow or labored breathing, or weakness. These can be seen with shock as noted above.
In good health, these tissues have a nice pink color. When there is internal bleeding, these membranes will become pale, ranging from a soft gray to white in color. You may notice loss of visible blood vessels on the whites of the eyes, and your cat's pretty pink nose may turn white.
If it's a native animal that is seriously injured and you think it needs to be euthanised rather than rescued, contact the local police. And if you're unsure, the police or a wildlife rescue group can always make that judgement. If the animal is a pet then you must contact the owner, police or the RSPCA.
It is believed that in this way the bad luck will not touch you. If you're driving and then a black cat crosses your path, it is highly advised to not go ahead at all. You should return home or wherever you were coming from.
Bring your cat to the vet.
You don't know what your cat was up to while she was away, and while you can check for injuries yourself, the vet can check for infected wounds or parasites. The vet can also perform a physical exam and take fecal and blood samples for analysis.
Petplan figures reveal 250,000 cats are run over annually in the UK. This equates to 630 cats daily. Although one cat is too many, the percentage of cats who will be involved in a road traffic accident annually is 3.57% of all UK cats.
Young cats and unneutered cats (especially males) are particularly at risk of being involved in road traffic accidents. This is because they are more likely to roam further from their home in the search for a mate. Cats who live near busy roads with high levels of traffic have a higher chance of an accident.
It may also be that most people aren't aware of the tendency of a frightened or injured cat to hide in silence for seven to ten days. People may look at the shelter during this hiding period, and then the cat ends up at the shelter after the owner has given up looking.
Cats who sustain spinal or abdominal injuries have an increased risk of death but these kind of injuries may not be immediately obvious. If your cat is ever hit by a car, you must always seek immediate veterinary treatment because there are often internal injuries, even in cases where the cat appears uninjured.
It is widely accepted that animals also feel pain in the same way that we do, being both a sensory and emotional experience in response to damage, or potential damage to the body. Essentially, if both you and your cat stepped on a sharp object, it's likely you'd have very similar experiences in terms of pain!
Causes of Shock in Cats
There are many causes for shock in cats. The primary cause is usually trauma, such as being struck by a car or sustaining a serious or life-threatening physical injury.
Limping/stiffness. Breathing problems. Pain (growling, crying, off food, guarding an area of their body) Pale gums.
If the environment is not safe to stop, you should call local authorities. Most cities and municipalities have animal control contracts, where an animal control officer can remove the remains and scan for a microchip.
To meet a black cat is considered good luck, especially if it runs across the path of the observer. There are some variants of this belief, such as that in Yorkshire, where it is lucky to own a black cat, but not to meet them.
Collisions with animals are an unfortunate reality of driving in Australia. Thankfully, accidentally hitting an animal is not seen as your fault in the eyes of the law, or your insurer. After hitting an animal, there are several things you can do to make the road safe again, and begin processing your insurance claim.
Yes, they understand the difference between some accidentally hitting them (or in my case, giving one a kick/tripping over them) and someone deliberately hurting them. I always stop whatever I'm doing to say I'm so sorry and didn't mean it.
Keep your cat warm (except in heat stroke), as quiet as possible, and keep movement to a minimum, especially if there is possible trauma, broken limbs, or any neurological symptoms. Contact your veterinary hospital to inform them of the situation and get specific first aid advice.
What injuries might my cat have? The number and type of injuries that are seen in cats following a road traffic accident are extremely variable. In one study in 2004 the most common injuries involved the extremities, head and neck, pelvis, and chest. Skeletal injuries (primarily broken bones) were seen in 59% of cats.
If internal bleeding is not treated, the heart and breathing rate will continue to increase while blood pressure and mental status decrease. Eventually, internal bleeding can result in death by blood loss (exsanguination). The median time from the onset of hemorrhagic shock to death by exsanguination is 2 hours.
Usually, the bleeding results from obvious injuries that require rapid medical attention. Internal bleeding may also occur after a less severe trauma or be delayed by hours or days. Some internal bleeding due to trauma stops on its own. If the bleeding continues or is severe, surgery is required to correct it.