I think it knows it's dead. Animals instinctively know how to try resuscitate their stillborn too.

Are we sure the cat wasn't just, erm, trying to take advantage?

It's stuff like this that makes me want to stop my kitten from leaving the house when he gets older. I hate to think what might happen with all these quiet cars on the roads nowadays.

They'll all be crying in their cornflakes this morning and next they'll be in the pet section laughing about the half eaten blackbird their cat just brought to them

That's harsh. I'm going to have a rant about you in This Thread

You rant away

Some of you might hate me for asking this, but do any of you really believe the standing cat was giving cardiac massage to the other one?

I like cats, but I think there's a danger of some people giving human attributes to animal behaviour here. Reading the look on the cat's face..... People wouldn't know simply from the cat's face what was going on, so I don't get that at all - nothing about that cat's face says "Not too much pressure - could break ribs. Do it for a count of 5, then pause to check for breathing, & don't forget to check the pupils". The text & the sad music make this footage into the story. Change the text & music, & it would be interpreted very differently - put the "Eye of the Tiger" as the backing track, & say that the cats had been fighting, then one lay down & you could say the standing cat was taunting it wanting it to keep fighting.

It's very easy to manipulate footage, & as a result influence thinking. It's sad to hear of a cat dying from being hit by a vehicle, but anything else added to this story is pure speculation. Now if someone told me the standing cat yelled "Where's the f-ing crash team?" I might be more convinced, but cardiac massage? Purr-lease.

I don't believe it was trying to give CPR - I think it was probably wondering why the other cat was laid still, and wanted him to get up. He sensed something was wrong and was trying his best to get the attention of the other cat, but obviously it was already dead. Then he gave up and settled down beside it to keep it company or protect it. Cats do experience emotions, but I doubt it knows anything about CPR

I think the video was definitely sad - with or without the music. I had my speakers off for a while and it was still upsetting to watch

Tried. Turned it off after seconds. So sad.

Injured animal, cat's first instinct to help.

Human's first instinct, pull out camera and film it.

I agree, some people will film anything I was on a bus before and it drove by someone who had been hit on their motorbike by a car and there was actually a crowd of people gathered round and some were taking pictures and filming It's disgusting.

Aww that video brought tears to my eyes He's not doing CPR though as cats have no concept of what CPR is, I think he's trying to get his friend to wake up then finally accepts she's not going to So sad, poor little thing.

I would not attribute human emotions (or CPR skills ) to cats but they do bond with each other and they do have feelings.
My last two (sisters) where always grooming each other, curled up together etc. If the dim one got locked out in the street (she never did work out how to find the back garden with cat flap from the road) the bright one would sit by the front door crying.

When one died the other died within weeks, co-incidence probably.

It depends what sort of injury to the tail it has received. If it is a bad injury further up the tail (nearer to its body) then the spine can get damaged. I only just heard about this a few months ago myself, apparently a tail injury can be life threatening to a cat, it just depends how severe it is and where abouts on the tail it is.

I don't want to watch the video that the OP posted as I know it will upset me, as a cat owner myself I couldn't bare to watch. As someone else has said, someone is recording this on video, couldn't they have helped the cat instead?

How does it make the cat "heroic"?

I think the cat is dead from the outset and not much could be done, although apparently a vet was called and did attend.

The video is very sad - the expression on the cat's face and the way he lies down next to his friend especially so.

Interesting to compare it to the recent footage of chimps 'grieving' - it looks at face value like very similar behaviour.

I do wonder why people assume that animals don't have a similar emotional capacity to humans, although sometimes differently triggered, obviously. It is much harder to explain a lot of animal behaviour if you take the view that they don't feel emotions, and given that mammals have a very similar physiology, it is at least reasonable to assume that the basic systems and functions are also similar.

Looks like he's sharpening his claws to me

The cat was simply padding. Most cats do this - its is a regression to kitten behavior where they used to pad to help milk flow when feeding. It is probably comforting behaviour to them.

The cat on top was probably displaying regression behaviour due to the stress of losing its companion - rather than actually trying to perform a cardiac massage. Classic example of anthropomorphism.

Oh just stop being so sensible. You're ruining people's Ahhh moments.

I notice none of the other neighbourhood kitties came running over with a defribulator or something useful to aid the CPR attempts of this kitty!

You're right! Pure selfishness.

Maybe they were filming it too.

I can't - it's a curse I've got to live with.

I can understand a cat or any other animal being sad, happy, loving something or someone, being emotional in some way. But someone actually thinking the cat is doing cardiac massage/CPR - never in a million years. Like I said - purr-lease.

Exactly - no blues & twos going "Miaow miaow, miaow miaow", no cats offering something like a coat to keep it warm (I realise it's already got a fur coat, but another wouldn't have hurt). My guess is they were out doing this.

vicious little beasts arn't they?

I deal with lots of things all the time, and there are times when I do think I have become less and less sensitive , but things like this with animals always bring a tear to my eye. Many people dont think animals have feelings , things like this show how wrong they are.

How nice of whoever filmed it to rush and try and assist, but then Youtube was more important and its only a cat hey !

That's what it is indeed. Cats love padding, they'll do it when they're happy (mine loves standing on my tummy and start a digging fest first thing in the morning to celebrate the fact that I've finally opened my eyes) and some also do it when they are stressed, confused, or know that something isn't quite right.

That's what this cat is doing. If the other cat was family or they were buddies, it will have been sad - lots of animals get sad, just like us.

It would of course have been mightily impressive it it HAD plucked a little state-of-the-art First Aid Kit out of its fur pocket, and simultaneously demonstrated superior CPR skills, but unfortunately this kitty is doing none of that.

I just hope someone took him home.


Shit. I also think my heart just broke in two - why the F did I open that sodden link!!!