25 Comments
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Randy Lynn's avatar

Dang! That’s living in the country in the South!

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georgiaontap's avatar

Awhile back I developed a "Jesus take the wheel" attitude toward squirrels. Take my foot off the gas and don't swerve. It's up to the universe at that point (in myind anyway)

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Karan Dixon's avatar

So sorry you experienced that but, Thank you for sharing your experience and for sharing the tips to help others I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Love your honesty and and vulnerability with your fans. Keep on being real and sharing your stories man we love hearing the good and the bad.

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chichi robado's avatar

OMG! I can’t even imagine. You did the right thing in relieving the cat’s suffering, BTW. Don’t know if you are a handgun owner, but a .22 pistol will do the job quickly and cleanly. I don’t think I could do the backup thing - I’d be too scared I’d mess up and cause even more suffering for the cat 😿. CONTENT WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING...................................................................................................................

Learning basic first aid can help save a critter’s life. A few years back, a neighborhood dog was hit and the driver took off. The dog was injured pretty badly with a major abdominal wound. At minimum, infection was likely. Some of the neighbors were on the scene when I got there. I told one to get some clean towels, and another one a box or laundry basket, and another one to call the local vet hospital. The dog was in shock (shivering and panting). I ran in the house and got duct tape, paper towels, a pan of warm water, and a bottle of water. I put some of the bottled water in my hand first before touching the dog to see if it would drink. Fortunately, it did lick my hand a couple of times. I had one neighbor hold its head (bite prevention) and another ready to grab the back legs while I carefully poured some warm water over the wound site. Then laid one of towels over it. Working slowly, we got the other end of the towel underneath the dog with enough of the end available that I could duct tape both ends of the towel to the dog. Yeah, it would likely lose some hair, but this was an emergency. We put a couple of towels in the laundry basket, gently laid the dog in the basket, covered it with more towels and another neighbor took it to the hospital. A couple of days later, I got a call from the people who owned the dog (I guess they got my number from the neighbor who took the dog in) thanking me. The dog survived the needed surgery, was doing well, and expected to be home in a few days.

Apologies if I inadvertently highjacked the thread. The point was that sometimes it’s too late to save a fellow earth inhabitant (as in Corey’s situation), but if we have some basic knowledge and supplies, the outcome can be positive too.

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Corey Ryan Forrester's avatar

No no you’re fine! I encourage high jacking of threads on this Substack! It’s as much y’all’s as it is mine!

I am all for safe and responsible gun ownership for protection, but being honest, I have never felt comfortable having one in the house. I don’t THINK I’d do anything, but I’ve suffered depression for a long time and tend to be irrational when I’m upset lol. Therapy has changed me for the better but it’s still a situation I’d rather not even have the option for lol. Sorry if that’s TMI 🤣

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chichi robado's avatar

Whew! Lol. BTW, I support your position šŸ’Æ on not having a gun in the house given your circumstances. Depression is a tricky bitch and she can come bite you when you least expect it. But I’m sure you and your therapist have had this convo so yeah. You’re smart to acknowledge the risk.

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Sue Kocher's avatar

Shit. Cats are so nuts. I rescued one that rode under the hood of a hospice caregiver next door... and would not come out. Engines are warm. I trapped it, rehabbed it for a couple of days (she was sweet!) and it got a home via the local rescue group. But that was a rare happy ending.

I have run over a couple of critters and it devastates me every time. One time I saw a fledgling bird struggling on the side of a NOT busy road and pulled over to cajole it elsewhere, but before I could get there, a truck careened around the corner and nailed it. Goddammit. Another time I saw a box turtle trying to cross the road in a rainstorm and I pulled to the side (getting stuck, but never mind) but by the time I got there, some asshat had flattened it. I think deliberately.

Broke my goddamned heart.

Thanks for reminding me that I am not alone.

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Liz's avatar

This should not be so funny.

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Pat Hartley's avatar

That sucks. I’ve had birds, gophers and yes a cat under my tires. I have cried and felt terrible. I am a terrible pet putter downer as I feel physically sick after it is done and bawl for a week or so.

Your advice will be taken to heart to be more mindful of them kitties.

However that GD shithawk (gull) that took out my headlight a few years back as it decided that it was a great opportunity to die I have no remorse for.

HUGS AND COMMISERATIONS,

šŸ‡ØšŸ‡¦

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Gale Mead's avatar

Nope. Sorry, Corey, but you've lost me as a listener. I'm going to be traumatized and sick in my soul for the rest of the day and I turned it off before the first cat was even dead. You have to fucking warn people. I enjoyed your political humor and stuff, but I won't risk hearing heartbreaking, stomach churning shit like this so I'm out. Good luck with your new baby.

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Corey Ryan Forrester's avatar

Don’t you think the title is a BIT of a giveaway as to what the video might contain? Lol. Thanks for subscribing for so long, please be safe and have a good one!

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Corey Ryan Forrester's avatar

My reply is for Gale btw... the way it showed up that may not be clear

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Sue Kocher's avatar

Get a grip,. Gale. He’s trying to save lives.

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Mary Whalen's avatar

The descriptions are too much for me, too.

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Katie's avatar

sad....

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Laura Wagner's avatar

Drivers Ed teacher told all of us that unless it's "bigger than a dog" to just KEEP DRIVING! Only swerve if it's bigger than a dog! So crunch crunch to those squirrels! Never cats tho; LOVE my cats! Love ya Corey!

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Sue Kocher's avatar

Your driver’s ed teacher is fuckec up.

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Zach Dahlem's avatar

That’s rough, Corey, I’m sorry. But now I have questions about which of your neighbors is either letting their cats run wild or is not spaying/neutering their pets and thus contributing to the population of feral and apparently suicidal cats. All that to say, it was an accident. You didn’t do it on purpose so don’t be too hard on yourself.

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Corey Ryan Forrester's avatar

There are a TON of cats running around my house all the time. They all very much seem like they belong to neighbors and aren’t straight up feral. Made me extra sad because sometimes I sit with them in the garage while I’m cooking and give them tuna. They are my little runaway buddies!

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Zach Dahlem's avatar

Well, damn, dude. Now I’m going to get choked up all over again. May I offer a virtual bro hug?

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michael thompson's avatar

Sometimes they sleep on top of your warm engine, whereupon they are shredded by the fan when you start your truck.

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Cindy's avatar

Sorry about the cats šŸ’”. Hope you were listening to the real Skynyrd.

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Corey Ryan Forrester's avatar

Only them

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Diana's avatar

I was riding my bike on a trail once, and a squirrel darted right in front of me. I thought for sure I was going to run over it and get squirrel blood and guts on my bike! Instead, somehow like an acrobat or something, it ran right between my two tires as I was pedaling. It kept running, my bike stayed clean, and we both lived happily ever after.

Sorry about the cats. That would be horrible!

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Lisa's avatar

Good advice. I have cats do that would devastate me. I hit a rabbit that darted into road & had to go back, bawling the whole time, and pull it out of the road so it didn't get smushed to oblivion. I still avoid that road. 😭

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