Renowned Cornell University cat veterinarian James Richards — injured when he crashed his motorcycle trying to avoid a cat in the road — died Tuesday. He was 58.

Richards, the director of Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Feline Health Center, was thrown from his motorcycle during the accident Sunday, according to police.

Richards regularly appeared on network and cable television to discuss the world of cats. An authority on vaccination protocols for cats, he was a former president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the author of several books and articles on cats, including the “ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats.”

“He was the most competent feline expert, perhaps in the country, but even more than that he was just a wonderful caring person and a very dear friend to many, many people,” said Donald Smith, dean of Cornell’s vet school.

He was born in Richmond, Ind., and held a mathematics degree from Berea College in Kentucky and his D.V.M. from Ohio State University.

He joined the Cornell veterinary college in 1991 as assistant director of the Feline Health Center and was named director in 1997.

Colleagues remembered Richards as a charismatic and popular teacher who was concerned about the students he mentored.

“He loved his motorcycles,” said Christine Bellezza, a feline consultant who began working with Richards in 1999. “All you had to say was ‘it was a nice day for a ride’ and he would get a big smile on his face.”

Richards’ colleagues weren’t surprised that a man who dedicated a good portion of his life to improving the lives of cats put such effort into avoiding a cat in the road.

Richards is survived by his wife and two sons.