had to shoot a cat

[Jackal]

I'd rather not get into some details, but I had to shoot a cat the other day and its not sitting well in my conscience. I wanted to get some feedback on what the final cause of death would have been.

The cat was below me, I was standing to its right rear slightly. I had a 7.62x39 fmj round, thinking the cat would be dead instantly. From a distance of about 4 inches, I shot it in the head. It popped up and landed on its back, not moving for a second or two. Then the rear legs started twitching.

I was at the top of a hill. The twitching became more severe, almost like a spasm. The cat rolled/ran down the hill mostly I believe because it was disoriented and its likely it didn't know where it was going.

It looked pretty shook up at the bottom of the 20 foot hill, having stopped at a log. It stopped moving a short while after, probably within 1-2 minutes of the initial shot at the most.

Upon inspection of the body, there was a hole on the top of its head. One slightly larger than bullet size hole in the torso, and finally one large exit hole behind the right front leg.

My question is, how could such a powerful round not instantly kill the cat. Is it likely that the cat suffered or is it more plausible that it was in shock and felt nothing, if it did not die immediately. Like a chicken, is it possible that it did die instantly but somehow was still able to move even though it was dead already?

I only ask because this has be shaken up a bit. It would put my mind at ease to know the cat went quickly. Any insight?

[roland]

Google "wound ballistics", and you'll know why. But to answer your question, you didn't hit the brain or central nervous system (cns). It is likely the cat suffered. The dying quivers you're describing in the chicken scenerio is what you obseved when it got to the log. Sorry, I can't put your mind at ease, something you have to do for yourself.

[knighthawk06699]

The brain can still send electrical impulses after it has shut down. You may have killed it and the spasm could just be the brain sending electrical impulses. I would have to say if the round did not kill it the shock of the round hitting the cat would have for sure killed it.

[awkx]

Like a chicken, is it possible that it did die instantly but somehow was still able to move even though it was dead already?

Yes, an animal's body can continue to spontaneously move for a short while after the animal has died.

From madamfathom.blogspot.com/2007/02/why-chicken-can-run-around-with-its.html:

The brain then gives the command ("start walking") to a different part of the nervous system: a circuit of neurons located in the spinal cord called the "central pattern generator," or CPG. Once activated, the CPG activates the relevant muscles and essentially takes care of all of the details. So that is the general strategy for locomotion: when we decide to walk, our brains "recruit" the appropriate CPG, and this CPG is responsible for activating the appropriate muscles at the appropriate time. And thus, although we consciously decide to start and stop walking, we don't need to think about it in between. Once initiated, the motion persists without cortical input.

[Jackal]

I was thinking along those lines (hopefully). The cat popped up from a laying position, which I take it was likely from the blast, and landed on its back. At this point there was no movement for 1-2 seconds.

Reading about "wound ballistics" I came across hydrostatic shock. I was thinking the force of that round would destroy all neural activity.

[roland]

Originally Posted by knighthawk06699

The brain can still send electrical impulses after it has shut down. You may have killed it and the spasm could just be the brain sending electrical impulses. I would have to say if the round did not kill it the shock of the round hitting the cat would have for sure killed it.

Not to start an arguement, but, shock doesn't kill. Ex. if he shot it in the rear leg, it still gets the "shock" but certainly won't kill it.

[tobyking8773]

Yeah, i've seen some cats do some pretty crazy stuff upon losing their brains to shock/vaporization. Flips, death runs, crazy spinning furballs of fury...and when you looked at the wound afterwards, ain't no way it could have felt anything. Got no brain, feel no pain. Don't ask me how I know this stuff....that restaurant would be PISSED! lol

[P-11 shooter]

I had to do this once before.

I used a shotgun.

It worked.

P-11nuffsaidSHOOTER

[knighthawk06699]

Originally Posted by roland

Not to start an arguement, but, shock doesn't kill. Ex. if he shot it in the rear leg, it still gets the "shock" but certainly won't kill it.

By shock I meant the shock wave of the round passing through the soft tissue of the brain. As small a brain as a cat has that round passing through it would have for sure all but liquefied it.

[roland]

Originally Posted by knighthawk06699

By shock I meant the shock wave of the round passing through the soft tissue of the brain. As small a brain as a cat has that round passing through it would have for sure all but liquefied it.

I understood that. But it still doesn't. Muscles and tissues are very resilent, meaning stretchy, even the brain can take the "shock". It's the crushing and tearing of tissues in vital organs or cns, that will lead to a kill.