Cat tossed from moving car in Oregon last week dies from injuries

MEDFORD, Ore. – A veterinarian was unable to save the life of a cat thrown from a fast-moving car last week.

Dr. Steve Poet of Best Friends Animal Hospital in Medford said the cat, who was given the name Jeffrey, was almost comatose when he was brought in Friday. Hospital staff tried to reduce swelling in the brain, but the cat started having seizures and seemed to go blind.

The 1-year-old silver-gray domestic shorthair was put down Monday.

"It makes your heart ache to see something like that," Poet said

Jeffrey had been thrown from the window of a car that was traveling about 50 mph along Highway 99 in Central Point, a witness told the Oregon State Police.

The cat was named for OSP Sgt. Jeffrey Proulx, who took the cat from the witness and brought it to Committed Alliance to Strays — or CATS.

Proulx said it would be almost impossible to find the culprit because of an inadequate description of the car.

CATS director Jan Whetstone said in her six years with the organization, she's seen at least 20 cases of injured cats that were brought in after having been thrown from a moving car.

Poet concurred that such behavior is not that uncommon.

"I know cats get dumped all the time," said Poet. "These guys are living beings. Thrown out of a moving car, that pretty much qualifies as abuse."