Whether you're a crazy cat lady or you only have one little buddy, no one wants to see these adorable creatures hurt. It's always a tragedy when a cat gets involved in a traffic accident, it makes you wonder, "Is there a reason this is so likely?".
Sadly, being run over is the fourth most common way for a cat to die besides natural causes. There are a few studies that have shown the consistencies between multiple accidents. They have come to show that the cats that are usually more affected by these incidents are male cats that are between seven months old and two years old. This is because they are the most active at that age and male tend to also be more active and exploratory than the females.
Despite common belief that darker coats make a cat more likely to get hit, the color of the fur has little to no impact on the likelihood of being run over.
Like with most things, there are precautionary measures you can take to try to reduce the risk:
1.) Keeping them inside, especially at night.
2.) Invest in some reflective collars to make them more visible to the oncoming drivers.
3.) If you do decide to let them outside, try to keep an eye on them and only let them explore for short periods of time.
Resources:
“Road Traffic Accidents.” Road traffic accidents | International Cat Care, International Cat Care, 2017, icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe-campaign/road-traffic-accidents.
“Factors That May Predispose Cats To Road Traffic Accidents.” Lostpetresearch.com, Lost Pet Research & Recovery, 13 Apr. 2011, lostpetresearch.com/2011/04/factors-that-may-predispose-cats-to-road-traffic-accidents/.
Are There Factors That Make It More Likely For A Cat To Get Run Over?
