What to do if your car hits a cat as new law proposed to protect them

However, there are now calls to change hit-and-run laws to give them parity with other animals.

A campaign from the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart is seeking to see the law changed so that motorists would be required to stop and report the incident to the police if they hit a cat.

Under the Road Traffic Act (1988), drivers must report collisions involving animals such as dogs, horses, pigs and sheep, but not cats.

Drivers do not have to stop and report an incident to the police if they hit a cat (Image: Canva)

What to do if you hit a cat

Advice from the organisation Cats Matter is to stop, keep calm and assess the situation.

It would be best to avoid any sudden movements and aim for slow, gentle body language when approaching the cat.

If the cat runs off they have a specific page for what you should do in that scenario which can be found on their website here.

Otherwise, you may need to take an injured cat to a nearby vet, and it would be best to ring ahead to let them know you are coming.

The best way to lift an injured cat is to have one hand under the chin at the front of the chest, and the other supporting the hind quarters.

Using a board underneath the cat and gently sliding them onto it will act as a stretcher and is a good way to avoid causing further damage or complications. 

If the cat has sadly died, see if there is any contact information on their collar and let the owner know what has happened.

Additionally, if that info is not present then try knocking on doors in the immediate area.

You can also take a deceased cat to the vet for microchip scanning and storage in cold facilities until the owner can be found.

What do campaigners have to say about the current law?

Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Drivers are required by law to stop and report incidents where they have hit a dog, and we have witnessed cars either drive slow and with extreme caution, or stop, when a dog has run loose into the road. However, the same level of care is rarely observed when a cat runs out – perhaps because the driver knows that, legally, they do not have to stop.”

Some campaigners believe a fine should be given to motorists who leave a cat on the roadside without reporting on it (Image: Canva)

“But if a law requiring drivers to stop if they hit a cat were to be brought in, we believe it could strengthen driver vigilance and responsibility overall - meaning the benefits of the legislation will stretch far beyond the protection of cats.”

Alongside that Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk said: “We’re calling for changes to be made to the law to make it a legal requirement for motorists to report to police if they’ve run over a cat.

“Along with this change, we believe it’s right to introduce a fine of up to £1,000 for any motorists who don’t comply and simply leave a cat on the roadside without reporting the incident.

“It’s heartbreaking to lose a cat, for many they’re a member of the family, which is why we want to support the change in the law to show their importance.

“It simply isn’t right that cat owners are left in this terrible vacuum of grief when their beloved pet disappears without warning.

“The fact that anyone would want to leave a defenceless animal on the side of the road is appalling and not having a law in place can make people assume it’s fine for this to continue."