A CAT owner says she supports a new law after watching on as a driver hit her pet and drove off.

Jo Henderson, of Low Road, Dovercourt watched on in horror as her rescue cat Lady ran into the road outside of her home and was hit by a car last Thursday.

Miraculously the nine-year-old cat is fine, but ran off after the incident and was missing for several hours.

Jo said: “I was in the front garden.

“I saw her back end get hit and flipped her back to the pavement - I think she hit the side of the wheel.

“I was watching and knew it was going to happen and the lady driving the car behind said she heard me scream before she got hit.”

The driver did not stop but Jo believes they would have seen her cat run into the road and towards the car and know they hit her. A woman travelling behind did stop to try and help. A new law is going before Parliament in a bid to make it a law for drivers to have to stop and report hitting a cat to police, as they have to do with dogs.

The private members’ bill was presented to Parliament in July last year and is now awaiting a second reading.

Jo supports the idea. She said: “I think it’s a good idea, I know cats go in the road and it’s not always the car drivers fault.

“But I do believe it’s a duty of care.

“I was concerned my cat was injured and was going to suffer and I wouldn’t be able to get her to the vet for treatment or to be put down.

“It’s about doing the right thing and making sure that animal doesn’t suffer.

“Also I think it’s important to highlight to people that if you take an animal to the vet and you aren’t the owner, you aren’t responsible for the cost.”

Jo and her family rehomed Lady from the RSPCA.

The jet black cat was totally feral and they chose her as they didn’t think anyone else would offer her a home.