Hitting a cat

I hit a cat with my car Friday night. Whenever I drive Piedmont Drive or any other road in this part of the country at night, I'm always 5 or 10 miles below the speed limit in hopes that will give me an edge on missing any deer that jump out. I even brake for squirrels.

 

Friday night 10 miles per hour under the limit wasn't enough. This poor little black and white bugger couldn't have been more than ten feet in front of me when he made his move from the right hand shoulder to cross the road.

 

There was an awful noise underneath the front end of my van from the impact and we were past him before I even realized what had happened. For some reason I looked in the rear view mirror right away and saw him, seemingly hot footing it back in the direction he had come from. I can't imagine how he did that but I am going to hold on to the illusion that he ran down into the weeds battered, bruised and a whole lot wiser going into his next 8 lives.

I really hate when that happens and I can still hear that awful sound...

Comments

[Daughter Ruth]

Dad
That really sucks about the cat. Hopefully he is fine and I think not knowing is better.

Remember that time I hit a possum one night coming home from a soccer game in high school?? Oh I was so upset!

On the other hand I can't believe you slow down for squirrels!
hugs and love
Ruth

[Nikki]

I brake for all things furry as well but they do not brake for me. I thankfully have never hit a cat. I have squished 1 possum, 2 racoons, 3 birds, and very unfortunately a dog. But never, never, never a kitty. When I was about 11 or so, my mother and I spent the summer up in Manassas and one of her friends saw a squished kitty on the side of the road - and the term "Bent Kitty" was born.

[Lisa]

You know how football players keep those stickers on their helmets as they rack up sacks? If my car were a football helmet I'd have 2 squirrels, 1 opossum, 1 squirrel, and a raccoon sticker on the side of my door. I cried each time. Well, not for the squirrel. He made it all the way across in front of me and then, inexplicably, ran back into my tire. I think maybe he'd just had enough of this nutty life.