Bourne: Woman calls for law change after cats die on road

Ms French, with one of her surviving cats, lost her two kittens within a week of each other

A woman from Bourne wants the law changing after her two kittens were killed by cars.

Amber French, 24, was left "heartbroken" after Shadow and Oddball both died within a week of each other.

Under current law, if drivers hit a cat, they are not required to stop and report it.

Ms French said "there has to be" a law to protect cats the same as dogs.

Shadow (left) and Oddball (right) died at 11 months old after they were hit on Mill Drove in Bourne

The single mum of a four-year-old found out through Facebook on 28 February that the first kitten, Shadow, had been hit by a car and found him on the grass by the side of the road.

She then received a call days later from a local vets that Oddball had also been hit and died on 7 March.

"My heart just went, it broke me because it was another cat we'd lost in a week, that can't be right", she said.

'Traumatic situation'

Under Section 170 of the 1988 Road Traffic Act, it is the "duty of the driver to stop, report the accident and give information or documents" if damage is caused to an animal.

The legislation, last updated on 11 March, covers horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats.

Several campaigners are calling for more legislation on road traffic collisions involving cats, and a petition that received 102,437 signatures led to a debate in Westminster Hall on 9 January 2023.

Ms French said: "If the same rules apply to a dog, why does it not apply to a cat? They're a pet, they're in someone's house, I just don't understand it.

"There has to be a law in place. I think people are heartless if they don't stop. It's been a very traumatic and heartbreaking situation and I don't want anyone else to deal with that."

Ms French still has five cats including Trixie who gave birth to Shadow and Oddball.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: "Our sympathies go to the owner of the two kittens who were killed in such upsetting circumstances.

"We would firmly support a change in the law which would mean drivers would legally have to stop and report the incident to police if they hit a cat, the same way they currently do for dogs, pigs, horses, cattle and goats."