It was late one evening and an RSPCA inspector brought in a black, male, unneutered cat which had been found by the side of a busy road.

On examination, the cat appeared bright and alert but he was crying out in discomfort. His pupils were both dilated, his gums were tacky and his heart was racing - all signs of shock.

The cat was unable to stand as his hind legs and tail were limp. When I touched around his pelvis he cried out in pain. His bladder also felt full to the point of bursting.

After administering pain relief, I rushed the cat through to the x-ray room. It was evident from the x-rays that he had broken his pelvis in multiple different places.

It was clear this cat had been involved in a road traffic accident, which is something I commonly see at the hospital.

While some animals only present with minor signs such as scuffed claws and a few cuts and bruises, some injuries can be far more serious such as broken limbs, ribs or in this case a broken pelvis.

When a cat breaks its pelvis, it often damages the nerves which go to the hind legs. This is explains why this cat could not move his hind legs. His bladder was very full because the nerve supply to the bladder had also been damaged and therefore the cat could not urinate.

This is a really serious problem as the bladder can overfill and can potentially burst.

To stereotype, the most common type of pet involved in a road traffic accident are unneutered male cats, this is due to many reasons but the main reasons are:-

A. Males are more likely to be searching for a mate

B. Cats as a species are more likely to roam free

C. Cats are often let out at night when it is darker and they cannot be seen by traffic.

Research has shown that neutered animals are less likely to be in accidents on the road, therefore it is heavily recommended that you get your pets neutered.

It is recommended that you use a reflective, quick-release collar on your cat so that it can be seen more obviously by oncoming traffic.

Furthermore, let your cat outside during the day instead of at night so that it can be more easily seen by the public and it is less likely to chase wildlife such as mice, which tend to come out at night.

Avoid peak hours when traffic is likely to be at its heaviest.

Microchipping your pet is really important. If your pet is involved in an accident then we can easily contact you if your pet is microchipped.

If your pet is not microchipped then it makes it incredibly difficult for us to contact you and therefore we are often forced to make decisions regarding your pet without your input.

As a cat owner myself, I am always worried that my cats will be involved in a road traffic accident but sadly road traffic accidents are common and unfortunate events. Therefore it is important to take measures to prevent such accidents occurring.