12 May 2025
Nearly half of all cats that die before nine do so because of road traffic accidents – and researchers say owners must now by law be required to report such deaths.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image: Angelique / Adobe Stock
A new study has indicated that nearly half of all cats that die before they are nine years old do so because of road traffic accidents (RTAs).
Researchers said the findings demonstrated the need for a change in the law that would require drivers to report incidents in which a cat is struck by a vehicle.
However, researchers also believe the analysis, thought to be the first of its kind for the UK feline population, can aid the development of care plans for other longer-term health issues.
The paper, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, examined data from nearly 2,500 cats recruited into the Bristol Cats project led by the University of Bristol’s vet school.
At least 362 of them died before reaching the age of nine, with the cause of death in 165 cases (45.58%) being listed as an RTA.
That proportion increased to 49.57% for cats aged between one and six years, and 61.19% for animals that are less than a year old.
Although the law does require drivers to stop and report an accident involving a dog, plus species including horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs and goats, no similar provision exists for cats. A previous reform bid was rejected in 2022, when the Government argued the legislative distinction was based on whether species were considered as working animals rather than domestic pets.
But more than 43,000 people have now signed a new petition via change.org demanding mandatory reporting of road incidents involving cats, while a separate campaign is also live via the UK Parliament’s petition website.
Emily Blackwell, a senior lecturer in animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Bristol and principal investigator for the Bristol Cats project, said the study was the first to indicate cats that had died because of RTAs, but whose cases had not been recorded by a veterinary practice.
She added: “The devastated owners of lost cats deserve to know what happened to their beloved pets, and we feel that our research highlights the importance of drivers being required to report such incidents to the police, as they are already obliged to do for dogs.”
Behind RTAs, the next largest case group was the 13.26% of deaths where a cause was not specified, which the paper suggested may be due to factors including a lack of definitive diagnosis or limitations in owners’ recollection, based on either a lack of understanding or reluctance to recall traumatic events.
But while nearly one in eight (11.94%) deaths of younger cats were linked to FIP, the data identified renal (6.63%) and cardiovascular (6.35%) conditions as the most common disease-based causes of death.
Dr Blackwell said: “Our research suggests an increased awareness and earlier detection of kidney and heart disease in young adult cats could delay or reduce death.
“Findings from the study could be used to raise awareness among owners of young adult cats, as well as develop better vet care strategies to improve the length and quality of life for the UK’s pet cats.”
