I killed our kitten

“I don't even know how to say it...but I just killed our kitten.

I drove to Blockbuster and dropped off a movie. When I drove out of the parking lot I heard or felt (can't really remember) a sound/bump. I looked in the back mirror and our black and white kitten was on the ground struggeling for it's life.

There was nothing I could do. It died. I feel terrible. Don't know what to tell the kids.

Poor thing must've sat in my engine and probably tried to jump out while I was dropping the movie off.

What, am I going to tell the kids? I feel like crap!”

“uh oh

Once when I was a kid, my dad ran over a dog in our driveway and I was watching out the window. It was an accident.

Two choices - tell the truth orrrrrr




deny



deny



deny!!”

“luckily you just ran over it instead of having it stuck in your belt on your car.

Just tell them what happened, they won't hold it against you for to long”

“I did the same thing back in the 60's. It's tough. I don't know how you'll tell the kids, but you'll find a way. It's important. Take care of yourself.”

“Damn, Gem, that's really awful. Sorry it happened to you. I don't think there's anything you could have done, really, to prevent the accident.

I guess you just have to tell them it was an accident and that you're sorry.”

“so I guess it's a good thing that "I waited to kill" until I was at blockbuster huh?

I understand how this darn kitten made it all the way to blockbuster with me alive in the engine.

Dang, I feel bad, sorry... I have NEVER killed anything. This is my first I think. I almost killed a squirl once, but I missed it.”

“Only policy is the truth. Always. And this wasn't your fault!

I would offer you one of the 2 kittens I am trying to find homes for, but you are a little far away (I'm in MD).”

“At least it didn't get it from the fan. That's a really terrible sound.
The truth hurts but is best in the long run.”

“Once a neighbor called the police when a sick squirrel was hardly moving outside our house. They came, and while we were talking, the squirrel moved away, under the police car, and we thought continued on and up a tree. After a few minutes, the policeman was ready to leave. As he started off, there was a bump under his tire. It was cool day, and the squirrel had gone on top of his front tire for the heat from the engine. So now it was dead. Then the police said they couldn't take the thing away, but they would notify animal control.”

“I've heard of it happening before. Our office in FL is over a bank with a drivethru adn once one of our people was downstairs (smoking) and heard a "meow" comeing from a car. There was a kitten riding in the engine compartment. She saved it.

Its terrible, but an accident all the same Gem - don't beat yourself up, the kids'll be ok.”

“My old Jetta was dubbed the Cat Killer. I roasted one on the engine block and two ran out right in front of me on the highway. Still feel bad about it.”

“i ran over a bunny once - cried about it for a few hours.”

“OMG! Bunny Killer!!!!!!!! ;-)”

“To add, my father ran over my grandmother's dog while we were dogsitting (many moons ago). Loved the dog, but I knew it wasn't his fault so didn't hold it against him. The kids will come to the right conclusion over time, but may rediret their anger/sorrow at you at first. The Truth is always the best policy, no matter what.”

“I know I have to tell them. I just need a couple more hours or a drink!”

“I'm so sorry Gemini. So sad.”

“You could always try.. "the kitten has apparently run away.. and go offer to get an other kitten?"”

“That works great until they tell their friends at school, who then tell them, "Dude, your mom totally ran over your cat at the BlockBuster. I saw whole thing."”

“Yea, teach your kids that lying is OK.”

“My sister took my cat to the vet. My cat hated the vet and had a heart attack and died. It wasn't my sister's fault, she didn't know any better. But she better stay in Hawaii for a few more years.

It wasn't your fault, it'll be alright. Escape and go backpacking.”

“Lying to your kids is worse than them lying to you.

After all one you is supposed to be the grown up.

Good luck Gem.”

“How old are your kids Gem?

Teenagers - I'd tell the truth.

Little Ones - I'd make up a story to spare them.”

“I lost two kittens to my parents' driving "skills" when I was a kid. Mom backed over little Squeakie and Dad didn't see Rocky under his truck years later. Honesty is the way to go, Gem. These things upset me, but even as a kid I knew an accident when I saw one. I now joke with Mom that they have to keep the current cat away from the automobiles.”

“Condolences Gem, you must be feeling pretty bad. It wasnt your fualt but it is a good idea to bang on the hood of your car everytime before getting in to scare any critters out, especially if you have heat-seeking missels like kittens around.”

“Tell the truth. In a little while get another kitten. And keep this one as an indoors only pet. I see so many animals that get ran over, it's sad. Your cat will live a longer healthier life if you keep it indoors. Plus local bird populations often suffer because of being preyed upon by wandering cats and they'll thank you too!”

“Cats are like backpackers. Much happier out in nature. What's the point of living 16 years in jail, when you can live 14 happy?”

“The average life span of an outdoor cat is 1.5 years. Cats that are kept indoors live an average of 15 years. Cats and dogs can live great lives indoors when the owners care enough to give them toys, play with them, etc..”

“Violin, one of them is 13 the other one just turned 11 yesterday. the 11 year old is the one I am worried about. He really really loved those kittens. I am telling them the trues though.

Free...I do bang against the hood. You know why I do that? because the same thing happend to my husband a couple weeks ago while I was hiking in WV. Almost killed another kitten back then, but for some wonderful reason it didn't die.


Anyway, that's the reason why I do bang against the hood or look under the car.

I don't understand why they do that. It's not cold at all out here. It reallymust be very hot under the hood of my car.


I do feel a bit better. I am getting ready to tell my older son. Then...a little later, probably tonight, I'll tell Cameron.

oh boy”

“"The average life span of an outdoor cat is 1.5 years"

Horse#&%!$.

That number has to include strays and is probably based on a very weak sample.”

“Ah Gem, sorry to hear that.

I remember my mom killed my kitten when I was a kid..the kitten was sleeping on the top of the tire and my mom backed out and the kitten didn't jump down on time....

I still hate my mom to this day for that!!! (j/k)”

“The last cat I had was an indoor-outdoor cat that lived to the rip old age of 17.”

“An outdoor cat around here has a lifespan of about a month or two. Fox, coyote, fisher cat, bobcat, bear...they seem to help themselves to the outdoor cat population.”

“Good for you Gem. 11 and 13 is old enough to comprehend death and it is a good thing for them to go through. It'll hurt but you are teaching them some of the most fundamental lessons in life.

My brother, while living with my other brother’s family threw a load of laundry in the dry to do some “man ironing” and didn’t know the Persian kitten was napping in the pile. He did the right thing too. He lied his azz off and said he hadn’t seen the little scamp.”

“The cat my sister killed was indoor/outdoor and was also 17. My two cats now are indoor/outdoor one is 15 and the other is 12.”

“Sorry to hear that, Gemini. Maybe it was cooler under the hood than in the hot sun. Tell the kids the truth.”

“Tough day, but better the cat than one of the kids.

We had an unbelievable stupid cat that liked to sleep out on the road or in the driveway as the tarmac was warm. The entire neighborhood knew and carefully drove around the cat. Luckily was hugely fat and very visible colors (orange/white/black).

She died after being with us for 15 years. She joined our household as an adult adoption so was probably 2-3 years older.”

“I told my older son. He was sad, but like everyone predicted, he knew it wasn't my fault. Feeling better now...but still have to talk to Cameron.”

“Cats love heat, opposite of dogs. They'll curl up in the sun on a 95 degree day, anyday. Cats originated from the desert, believe it or not.

All of my cats over the years have been indoor/outdoor. Almost all of them either lived to old age or are still around. Wild cats in the city? Yeah, ok, they probably do live until the ripe old age of 1.5 years. Pets shouldn't be allowed to roam free in the city, that isn't a natural environment and poses a million more risks than in the country. And wild cats don't get the medical and nutrition attention that pets do. In the country, they need to roam.”

“Ohh blah ... sorry that happened Gemini !

My wife ran over our kitty in the driveway a few years ago and told the kids that it ran away. hehe”

“i ran over a bunny once - cried about it for a few hours."
embear
01:29:09 PM
07/15/04


Don't forget about the bunny you boiled on my stove embear!”

“Don't tick off twigeater!
She's the main bunny boiler around here! ;-)”

“well, I told the other one. Bad idea...he will be crying about it for a while.”

“He'll get over it. I think you did the right thing Gem.”

“Not a bad idea, Gemini. Just learning the hardest life lesson - everything changes, everything dies. Then he'll learn another lesson - time heals even the worst hurts.”

“I know it's hard, but he will get over it, Gem. :-(

I guess my being brought up in a rural setting colors my feelings a bit. Life and Death of farm animals was always part of growing up. We were taught at an early age about killing animals for food. City kids grow up thinking meat comes in nice packages from supermarkets and never see how it got from the field to the store. Killing an animal you grew from birth to adult can be an eyeopening experience.”

“Few things suck worse than thinking your beloved childhood pet ran away and all the time you spend worring and wondering if its ok or not.

It's much better knowing that it ended than tearing yourself up speculating.”

“If you would have told him it ran away, he would have spent forever looking for it. My 12 year old daughter left her window open the other day and one of the cats got out. We kept telling her it would come back, like it has every other time she does this, but she wouldn't have it. She spent hours looking for it, and crying the whole time...only to have it come back to the front door.

It's when the neighbor dog kills your dog, then they find out, that's when the real crying starts.

Or when the dog you got to replace that one gets run over, 1 year from the day you got it, on Christmas eve, then the crying REALLY starts.

So much for that $1000, not including all the vet bills to keep them healthy.”

“Hate to hear that Gem. Nothing cutier than a kitten. I've run over two deer. Well, actually, one ran into me, then got up and ran off. The other was a fawn and didn't fare as well. It's really sad seeing a hurt animal lying on the pavement knowing you can't do anything. It hurts, you just gotta realize it wasn't your fault.”

“oh man, that is ROUGH, Gemini!! i'm sorry.”

“Ran over a bunny too....about a month ago...it was dark and the bunny was sitting in the middle of the road on a bend. Didn't see it until the car rounded the bend....by then it was too late....tried to stop by felt a "bump"....smacked it on the head with the front or bottom of the car.

Two days ago...ran over a groundhog in bright daylight...on a curve on the highway...couldn't avoid it also. :o(”