Study of factors that may predispose domestic cats to road traffic accidents: part 1

Abstract

Between March 2000 and February 2001, six veterinary practices in Cambridgeshire collected data on 117 owned cats which they had examined after a road accident. For one week every month during the same year, the practices distributed questionnaires to the owners of cats which had been examined for reasons other than a road accident, and the data from these cats were checked to ensure that they were representative of the practice records, which were compared with a survey of the owned cat population for age and sex. From this population, the cats that were allowed outdoors and had never been in a road accident were chosen as controls, and compared with the cats that had been in a road accident for age, sex, pedigree status and coat colour. The cats that had been in a road accident differed from the control population with respect to age, sex and pedigree status; for every one-year increase in age, the odds of a road accident decreased by 16 per cent; the odds for males (entire and neutered) being in a road accident were 1.9 times the odds for females (entire and neutered), and the odds for pedigree cats were 0.29 those for non-pedigree cats.

Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England

“…This compares with just 5.8% of trauma-related deaths in cats dying at or after 5 years of age. The preponderance for RTA-related deaths among younger cats concurs with a UK practice-based study that reported reducing RTA death rates as cats aged (29). A Swedish study of insured cats that died before 12 years of age also identified RTA as important to cat mortality, with an age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) of 411 per 10,000 cat-years at risk (17).…”

Risk factors for road traffic accidents in cats up to age 12 months that were registered between 2010 and 2013 with the UK pet cat cohort (‘Bristol Cats’)

“…Younger cats of around six months of age are more likely to be exposed to roads for the first time as owners will tend to keep kittens indoors until they have been neutered, which is often at around six months of age (Welsh and others 2013). This may explain the finding by Rochlitz (2003a).…”

“…For example, it has been suggested that black cats are more likely to be involved in an RTA due to being less visible to drivers. However, previous studies have not found any conclusive evidence to support this claim (Rochlitz 2003a). In addition, some animal rescue organisations will not rehome cats to houses situated on busy roads or will recommend that cats are kept indoors at night to reduce the risk of an RTA (eg Wythall Animal Sanctuary 2013, Leeds Cat Rescue 2014, RSPCA Stafford, Wolverhampton & District Branch 2014, Cheltenham Animal Shelter 2015).…”

Management and treatment of feline tarsal injuries

“…Tarsal injuries in male cats are overrepresented compared to female cats; tomcats have a wide home range and roam in search of oestrus females (Owen 2000, Rochlitz 2003). Complete physical and orthopaedic examinations are mandatory to reliably identify all injuries in these cases, but the recognition and management of all life-threatening injuries must take precedence over orthopaedic trauma.…”