My cat was hit by a car. Did he suffer or was his death instant?

I am so sorry to hear this! To answer your question- it depends on the severity of the injuries and the overall health of the cat. But the quality of life of the cat in question is the real concern. This sounds like a significant injury that no doubt is causing pain and distress. You did not state whether or not this is your cat, or a cat that is able to be caught, but I would highly recommend taking the cat to a veterinarian as soon as possible to relieve any suffering and hopefully treat the cat's injuries. If this is not possible, I recommend calling local animal control to see if they can assist. I hope this helps and the cat is on the road to recovery soon!

I am awfully sorry for the tragic way in which your pet died. In these types of situations it is impossible to know how quickly your pet passed away because internal bleeding can vary tremendously. It depends on which vessel was severed and how quickly that vessel pumped blood out of the vasculature and into the abdomen. I would hope that your pet didn't suffer for too long. Major vessels tend to bleed out fairly quickly (less than an hour), while smaller vessels can be somewhat slower (several hours). Try to remember the happier times you had with your furry friend and not dwell on how he passed away. I know this may prove difficult, but it is what keeps us together in these times of sorrow. I I hope that Mirmir rests in peace and I send my deepest condolences to you and your family for your loss.

I am so sorry your cat died recently, please accept my condolences for your loss. The massive wounds may have been the cause of his death. He could have had internal injures you weren't aware of it, and that could have lead to him vomiting food and then blood. Unfortunately, without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain what caused his death. I recommend having a necropsy (an autopsy for animals) done on him, which may give you some answers as to what caused his death. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss :-(

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you suspect that Ziggy was hit by a car or received some form of trauma I would strongly recommend having her evaluated by her veterinarian ASAP. Injuries following trauma can be more extensive than they appear, and Ziggy should receive analgesic (pain control) therapy at a minimum if she seems in distress or painful. If the trauma is localized to the head her veterinarian may recommend skull radiographs to assess for fractures; often chest and abdominal radiographs are also recommended in hit-by-car cases to assess for additional trauma. Surgery can be required in some cases to address trauma injuries. I hope that Ziggy feels better soon.

I’m very sorry to hear this happened. Yes, it is possible for a cat to get hit by a car and then run away. It depends on which part of the body was hit and also animals get a rush of adrenaline during an emergency and that might allow them to run away even if they’re injured

Hello. I am so sorry for your loss. It is possible that Jason hit the back of his head severing his spinal cord. His death was swift & painless. But I wonder if something actually occurred while he was attempting to jump on the mantle. It is possible he suffered some type of cardiac event that caused him to fall. This too would have been a swift & painless death. Sometimes in life, we see death way too early. Whether it is by accident by trauma or a birth defect that just now shows up, things happen. Assure your daughter that Jaxson did not suffer & while his life was short, it was meaningful because he had people who loved him. Please accept my condolences on your loss & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

He may have had an injury, been hit by a car or he had a congenital heart defect that caused a blood clot at the bifurcation of the aorta (that paralyses hind legs and hurts terribly). This can also cause a clot in the lungs which would cause breathing problems. Unfortunately most cats with these blood clots die within a short time. I am so sorry for your loss. This is very sad.