Calls for drivers to have to report hitting cats
Kellie WatsonTens of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for a law change to make it mandatory for drivers to report hitting cats.
Kellie Watson, 47, from Killingworth, North Tyneside, said it was "devastating" when her 11-month old kitten Martha was run over and repeatedly hit by cars until a stranger took her to the vets.
She said she could not see Martha "one last time" as the vet advised against it owing to the severity of the kitten's head injuries.
Ms Watson's petition, backed by North East charity Pawz for Thought, has more than 40,000 signatures, but the Government said there were "no plans" to amend the law above Highway Code advice to report any collision involving an animal.
Ms Watson said her kitten would usually wait at the door for her to get back from work.
Earlier this month, when Martha was not there, Ms Watson said she knew something had happened.
"She was only with us a short amount of time, but she was our baby," she said.
Kellie WatsonMs Watson said her older cat, who is 18 years old, was "fretting" without her.
"She's not eating, being sick, because she mothered her," she said.
"I can't understand drivers just hitting a cat and just leaving them in the middle of the road.
"You wouldn't do that with a dog, so why do that with cats?"
Drivers must report if they hit animals such as dogs, horses and sheep and Ms Watson said: "It's high time we extend the same legal protections to our feline companions as well."
Sunderland-based Pawz for Thought said a rule change would give owners a chance to get answers "rather than search for months".
Operations manager Lorraine Thornton said the charity "constantly receive calls from heartbroken owners searching for their missing cats".
"Our pets are part of our family and for some people their only family," she said.
As of June 2024 all cats in England over 20 weeks old must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database.
The Department of Transport said cat microchipping rules would "make it easier for National Highways and local authorities to reunite cats with their keepers".