cat in median

[destiny1325]

I was just wondering if anybody could give me their opinion of what to do. Each time I've headed down a particular highway (3 times in three weeks) i have seen a small black cat in the median between east and westbound traffic. I can only assume that he hunts there and somehow manages to cross traffic each day.
Should I:
-Try to stop for him and hope he doesn't run away into traffic.
-Call the local humane society and report the location.
-Or not worry about it.

The highway is about 15 minutes outside of the city so the traffic is less but still pretty constant. I would have to pull off of the fast lane if I did stop.
Thanks!

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[VAgirl]

Option 1 is no good. You'll either get him/her hurt by forcing the cat into traffic, or get yourself hurt (from a dangerous traffic situation or from this unknown animal possibly attacking you--and then you'd likely need fun post-exposure vax to protect you against whatever the cat might have...rabies vax comes to mind). I'd say option 2--call in trained professionals and let them handle it.

(Option 3 isn't terrible, either, although I'd be worried about him/her making lots of baby cats and adding to the stray cat problem.)

 

[dsharp]

I've been in this situation several times. One thing to be aware of (I'm sure you already are) is that the cat my spook and run into the road. The other thing to worry about is your own safety. The cat may get to the median via a drain pipe or culvert. Your best bet may be to call animal control. They usually will catch it and bring it to a shelter.

In my neck of the woods it's common to see this. Two years ago we noticed a dog living next to the interstate freeway ramp. Everyday we'd watch it and noticed that it was getting skinnier and that it had an injured leg. So, everyday we'd leave it food. The dog was too scared to be bothered with us but we'd go off and it would eat. After a few weeks we decided to catch it and would leave food and "stake" the location out for a few hours. The dog was too smart though. Finally, after a month of trying, we got a break. The dog was in heat and had a new boyfriend. When we stopped to leave food one day the boy dog came up to us and so did the one we were trying to catch. So, we caught both. Anyway, the dog ended up having a fracture below the right femoral head and had a puppy collar embedded in her neck. We did an FHO to fix the leg, removed the collar and nursed her back to health. Once she got used to being handled by people, she turned out to be the sweetest dog. Now she's part of our permanent pack.

The story probably doesn't help you out but I like to tell it. It makes me happy!!

You probably could try to catch the cat but think of its and your safety before jumping into anything.

Let us know what happens.

 

[philomycus]

Last time I did this (stopped) I brought her home and had 6 kittens 1 week later.

 

[rexosaurus]

Last time I did this (stopped) I brought her home and had 6 kittens 1 week later.

LOL

we all love kittens, but i suppose this is not the ideal situation, funny though

oh, and i vote for calling animal control.

 

[athenaparthenos]

One of the vets I work with, who used to be a student on the interview board at his school, said that in an interview a girl glowingly told them about stopping her car on the freeway in the middle of rush hour to save a dog. After she left the interview panel looked at each other and were like, "What the crap, she could've been killed, that's ******ed!" LOL. One of them wanted to dock her points for it. So... if you do go for the pulling over and saving the cat option... maybe don't mention it in your interview.

I would call the county.

 

[destiny1325]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I was leaning towards calling animal control as well.

About a month ago I did stop off on a shoulder of a dangerous highway to save a dog that ran directly in front of my car. Two other people stopped as well. Just as the dog started heading towards a good Samaritan someone in another car hit the dog at about 70 mph without so much as tapping the breaks. He must have been doing something pretty important not to notice three people on the shoulder, one lane of stopped traffic, and a small black dog running down the highway
Don't worry, I didn't mention it at my interview

 

[168135]

One of the vets I work with, who used to be a student on the interview board at his school, said that in an interview a girl glowingly told them about stopping her car on the freeway in the middle of rush hour to save a dog. After she left the interview panel looked at each other and were like, "What the crap, she could've been killed, that's ******ed!" LOL. One of them wanted to dock her points for it. So... if you do go for the pulling over and saving the cat option... maybe don't mention it in your interview.

That's not fair! She should have gotten bonus points because she loved animals so much that she was willing to risk her life for one

I was heading to school one morning to high school, which is busy before school goes in and after school gets out. She idiot who on the road there had two black cats roaming about, and one of them was hit and lying in the middle of the road. Us, and two other cars pulled over and the van that hit the cat came back. We were the only ones who had a blanket in our car, so we waited for traffic to stop and got the cat. The police came and yelled at at for parking on the side of the road... the owners were not home, so we took him to the vet. We called to check up on him, but they had gotten in contact with the owners and wouldn't give us any information. I asked my friend who volunteered there if the cat was there, and he wasn't, so he was probably put to sleep because the owners were too poor to treat it. Less than a month later, this cat's brother crossed the road in front of us on the way to school. I really hate people sometimes.

 

[athenaparthenos]

That's not fair! She should have gotten bonus points because she loved animals so much that she was willing to risk her life for one

Yes, but they like the students they admit to their school to live through all 4 years

 

[sofficat]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I was leaning towards calling animal control as well.

About a month ago I did stop off on a shoulder of a dangerous highway to save a dog that ran directly in front of my car. Two other people stopped as well. Just as the dog started heading towards a good Samaritan someone in another car hit the dog at about 70 mph without so much as tapping the breaks. He must have been doing something pretty important not to notice three people on the shoulder, one lane of stopped traffic, and a small black dog running down the highway
Don't worry, I didn't mention it at my interview

that is terrible. i am so sorry you and those nice people had to see that (and of course the dog!). do you mind me asking- what the heck did you do? i probably would have barfed having to see that... or scream and start chasing that car... man, that really sucks. :cry:

 

[destiny1325]

that is terrible. i am so sorry you and those nice people had to see that (and of course the dog!). do you mind me asking- what the heck did you do? i probably would have barfed having to see that... or scream and start chasing that car... man, that really sucks. :cry:

yeah it really sucked. Me and the other two people just stood there in shock. We waited a couple of minutes to make sure we didn't see the dog's chest move or anything, but none of us could go over to him because he had been thrown into the shoulder next to the fast lane, three lanes over from us. Based on the speed of the car and the sound of the impact it was pretty safe to assume he had died immediately. When I got back into my car I screamed some obscenities for a few minutes.

I know of an incident where a cop was directing traffic around an injured canada goose until a volunteer from the wildlife center could come retrieve it. A car went around the cop and ran over the goose. Luckily, the infuriated cop jumped back into his cruiser and chased the guy down

 

[Kara31191]

Oh goodness...

Want to hear my crazy story. So I'm leaving my school the other day (like 2 months ago... mor or less) when I see a car slam on their brakes. I saw a dog sitting there FROZEN, like just shaking looking around. No owners in sight. So this car keeps going and I pull over. This road was just off a state highway and was kind of busy, but not insanely busy.

Well, I pull over and start dialing my vet, trying to figure out how to approach it. Before I could get all the #'s typed in, my sister runs up to the dog and hugs him, kind of restraining his head. I was like IDIOT! She's worked with the vet also here and there when a bit of extra cleaning help was needed, but isn't a permanent staff member nor looking to advance her education. I start getting mad about this, and she just laughs it off. It was a scottie.

We walk around the block. I let her risk her life by holding the dog, and everyone outside said they'd known the dog, but never seen where the dog belonged. Long story short, the dog went to the police station and I dropped it off to an animal hospital in the next town over until the dog officer came basck from vacation. Idiot owners. Now and then, I still see the dog.

It weirds me out when people go up to strange dogs/cats/animals. I get very nervous. I was attacked by an elderly dalmation and a lab when I was younger. My brother ended up with stitches, and a neighbor got the dog before they got any further. The dogs were put down, I think they had something. Maybe distemper? My brother was treated with SOMETHING. Who knows? Strange day that was. I was VERY young.