NationStates Jolt Archive

So i've found a little bird in my garden (probably a sparrow), it has been injured by a cat.

Probably my cat.

The bird is alive, but has a large scratch on it's torso, and seems to be in shock.

Can anyone advise what I should do?

So i've found a little bird in my garden (probably a sparrow), it has been injured by a cat.

Probably my cat.

The bird is alive, but has a large scratch on it's torso, and seems to be in shock.

Can anyone advise what I should do?

Keep it warm, take it to a vet.

call the RSPB, ask them what to do

Call the animal shelter.

So i've found a little bird in my garden (probably a sparrow), it has been injured by a cat.

Probably my cat.

The bird is alive, but has a large scratch on it's torso, and seems to be in shock.

Can anyone advise what I should do?
If it is a species local to your area then a local wildlife center might be willing to take it in.

I would say call an animal shelter or the SPCA before you try to move it

The bird is alive, but has a large scratch on it's torso, and seems to be in shock.

If the scratch is very serious, through muscles for instance, kill the bird quickly by twisting its neck.

If you cannot do that or doubt the injury is that serious call a vet.

hmm at this time of night the vet is closed call the rspb.
there is an another opption - KILL THE CAT it should be punised those birds are becoming rare. theres to many cats anyway

Don't feed it sugar water. I did that and accidentally killed four sparrows.

there is an another opption - KILL THE CAT it should be punised those birds are becoming rare. theres to many cats anyway

You are sick.

Give it back to the cat. Why steal the food from the hunter?

hmm at this time of night the vet is closed call the rspb.
there is an another opption - KILL THE CAT it should be punised those birds are becoming rare. theres to many cats anyway
Or keep the cat indoors. It's safer for the cat and for the local wildlife as well.

Don't feed it sugar water. I did that and accidentally killed four sparrows.

ROFL! Does it work with evil teachers/sisters too? :rolleyes:

I hate to sound cruel here, but my suggestion would be to let it die. It happens every day. Birds are prey to cats, have been for millions of years, and the world still turns. It's just the way it is.

Take stone. Club head

Pluck feathers. Chop off head, drain blood, wash.

Marinate with curry powder, salt, pepper, Oregano. Rub it in..

Bbq.. ummm. nice.

So i've found a little bird in my garden (probably a sparrow), it has been injured by a cat.

Probably my cat.

The bird is alive, but has a large scratch on it's torso, and seems to be in shock.

Can anyone advise what I should do?

Pick it up gently and put it somewhere where nothing can get at it - for example, an outside window ledge. Then call a vet.

I hate to sound cruel here, but my suggestion would be to let it die. It happens every day. Birds are prey to cats, have been for millions of years, and the world still turns. It's just the way it is.

Which is why I suggested killing it quickly if the injuries were fatal. Its death would be natural, but one can alleviate the suffering.

I hate to sound cruel here, but my suggestion would be to let it die. It happens every day. Birds are prey to cats, have been for millions of years, and the world still turns. It's just the way it is.

Which is why I suggested killing it quickly if the injuries were fatal. Its death would be natural, but one can alleviate the suffering.

Which is also why I recommended giving it back to the cat. At least its death will serve some purpose that way (food).

Ok .. well.

The RSPCA and the Vet arn't interested.

So i'm kinda stuck.

Your feeling hungry.

Ok .. well.

The RSPCA and the Vet arn't interested.

So i'm kinda stuck.

Looks like dinner for your cat.

Looks like dinner for your cat.

Noooooooooo!

I can't do that ..

Damn complicated situation ..

Ok .. well.

The RSPCA and the Vet arn't interested.

So i'm kinda stuck.

Neither would advise you on what to do?

Neither would advise you on what to do?

Nope, they both said there was nothing you can really do.

They also said that if they wen't around collecting every bird that had been attacked by a cat, they'd never get anything done.

So, I guess I don't know what to do.

Nope, they both said there was nothing you can really do.

They also said that if they wen't around collecting every bird that had been attacked by a cat, they'd never get anything done.

So, I guess I don't know what to do.

I'm afraid that was advice, in a way.

In trying to find local help for you, I found advice that you call: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) (Tel: 01582 831 818)

You might look at the following:
http://www.voluntaryrescuecentre.org.uk/birds.htm
http://www.gowerbirdhospital.org.uk/Patients.asp#First%20Aid
http://website.lineone.net/~wild-life-line/

I'll try looking some more.

When we had a bird fly into our kitchen window, we were able to find advice and an organization that would care for it right away via Google.

So i've found a little bird in my garden (probably a sparrow), it has been injured by a cat.

Probably my cat.

The bird is alive, but has a large scratch on it's torso, and seems to be in shock.

Can anyone advise what I should do?
kill it

I read a site that advised to place it back where we found it, so the mother could find it.

I did this, by placing it on a ledge further out in my garden, although quite a high ledge.

In an attempt to fly, it must have crawled out the box and failed. I found it lying on the ground, still breathing, but very injured.

It is going to die shortly I guess :(

*Thanks for the help guys, especially Cat-Tribe.

I read a site that advised to place it back where we found it, so the mother could find it.

I did this, by placing it on a ledge further out in my garden, although quite a high ledge.

In an attempt to fly, it must have crawled out the box and failed. I found it lying on the ground, still breathing, but very injured.

It is going to die shortly I guess :(
if you can you should try and kill it quickly so it doesn't suffer

if you can you should try and kill it quickly so it doesn't suffer

I know .. but I can't do that.

I want to put it out of it's misery, but I just won't. It's unconcious I think, I guess it'll go with as little pain as possible.

I know .. but I can't do that.

I want to put it out of it's misery, but I just won't. It's unconcious I think, I guess it'll go with as little pain as possible.
it's ok, i wouldn't be able to do it either

it's ok, i wouldn't be able to do it either

Heh .. well.

I don't think it'll last much longer, it had a kinda fit and went unconcious. I picked it up, put it in a box and have placed it on-top of my boiler, and closed the lid.

It's so sad :(

awwwwww *huggle*

I'm trying to find you links that you may be able to use to find someone to care for the bird or give you specific advice.

http://www.stocksales.org.uk/wildlives/pages-ud2/and-if-its-injured.htm
http://www.animalrescuers.co.uk/html/wildcents.html

This looks like a good list:
http://britishwildlifehelpline.com/Centres%20_%20England.html

Good luck.

Your heart is in the right place. Don't worry too much if you can't really help. :)

Thank you both of you :)

Heh .. well.

I don't think it'll last much longer, it had a kinda fit and went unconcious. I picked it up, put it in a box and have placed it on-top of my boiler, and closed the lid.

It's so sad :(

You did what you could.

Things die. It's a part of life. Trying to help is good, but it is alright that it is dying.

You did what you could.

Things die. It's a part of life. Trying to help is good, but it is alright that it is dying.

I guess ..

but I can't help thinking there was something more I could have done.

I guess ..

but I can't help thinking there was something more I could have done.

Nah.

You were told by the vet and the RSPCA that there wasn't.

The bird is fading so fast it sounds like it was beyond help.

Thank you both of you

You are most welcome. Thank you.

I read a site that advised to place it back where we found it, so the mother could find it.

Probably wouldn't have worked I fear - the smell of cat and human would make it unrecognisable for the mother.
If it is that young it could probably not survive on its own anyway. There is therefor nothing you could have done.

May it rest in peace.

Well.

The bird has stop breathing, so I guess I can announce its death.

Thanks all for your advice and well wishes.

May the bird rest in peace.

:(
:( Fin :(
:(

Birds can naturally carry disease and make you very ill. You shouldn't touch the bird.

Birds can naturally carry disease and make you very ill. You shouldn't touch the bird.

So can people you know. Quick stop touching anyone near you. :eek:

If you find any animal that is apparently sick and dying, with NO OBVIOUS cause, then avoid it. But a fledgling sparrow that has been mauled by a cat is pretty safe.

Sorry to hear that the bird died. I have several cats that love to catch birds, snakes, mice, shrews, anything else small enough really. I know it's natural but it still bothers me when I see they have a new one.

Sorry to hear that the bird died. I have several cats that love to catch birds, snakes, mice, shrews, anything else small enough really. I know it's natural but it still bothers me when I see they have a new one.

The problem with domestic cats hunting birds is that they don't eat them, they just play with them until they die. The cat is too well fed to be interested in filling its belly with a little birdy, and nthe bird suffers at the paws and claws of the cat. The cats are acting out a basic instinct, but in an unnatural manner.

In the wild, birds never die of old age, because the odds are just stacked so high against them. I'm a bird person, and would love to have a pet sparrow, so I empathize with how hard it must have been to watch the little sparrow flutter its wings one last time and expire.

Keep your cat indoors at all times if you can. Since its already an outdoor cat that will be very difficult and understandable if you aren't able to do so. Domestic cats are responsible for something like 95% of all songbird deaths. I love cats too, but they are a blight upon the environment when it comes to birds. There are private vetranarians who will do what they can to save an injured wild bird, but they charge for their time. Waking up to the birds singing always gives me joy, so this is an issue close to my heart.

I had an experience similar to yours and brought it to Vet. He carefuly diagnosed the poor things injuries, told us there was no way to save it. He put it down to spare it suffering, and didn't charge us. Can't guarentee all Vets would be so kind as that one, but most of them have prety big hearts. Just something to keep in mind if this happens again.

There was probably nothing anyone could do. Birds are flighty creatures (figuratively and literally) if you wanted to spend the money, I'm sure a vet would've looked at it and given some antibiotics. the problem tho, is that wild birds view anything larger than it as a preditor, so eveytime you got close to it, put more strain on it's damaged system. compound that with it's inability to fly and its got stress that would give most fit people a heart attack.

next time, put it in a shoe box lined with clean cloth and take it to the vet (if you want to spend money treating it that is) keep it warm and keep the box open so that it can see that it's not really trapped. If you plan on doing this to every (or some) of the birds your cat attacks, then get a large cage so that it won't feel confined.

Sorry to hear about it... I felt bad for days when the bird I came across (broken wing) died overnight. :(

The problem with domestic cats hunting birds is that they don't eat them, they just play with them until they die. The cat is too well fed to be interested in filling its belly with a little birdy, and nthe bird suffers at the paws and claws of the cat. The cats are acting out a basic instinct, but in an unnatural manner.

In the wild, birds never die of old age, because the odds are just stacked so high against them. I'm a bird person, and would love to have a pet sparrow, so I empathize with how hard it must have been to watch the little sparrow flutter its wings one last time and expire.

Keep your cat indoors at all times if you can. Since its already an outdoor cat that will be very difficult and understandable if you aren't able to do so. Domestic cats are responsible for something like 95% of all songbird deaths. I love cats too, but they are a blight upon the environment when it comes to birds. There are private vetranarians who will do what they can to save an injured wild bird, but they charge for their time. Waking up to the birds singing always gives me joy, so this is an issue close to my heart.

I had an experience similar to yours and brought it to Vet. He carefuly diagnosed the poor things injuries, told us there was no way to save it. He put it down to spare it suffering, and didn't charge us. Can't guarentee all Vets would be so kind as that one, but most of them have prety big hearts. Just something to keep in mind if this happens again.More often than not, they haven't been properly trained. so inside they are still kittens pouncing on anything that moves. you can train a cat not to hunt.

If your cat keeps bringing you dead things, then it's the cat trying to train you on how to hunt. :D

Good point! Very observant.

So can people you know. Quick stop touching anyone near you. :eek:

If you find any animal that is apparently sick and dying, with NO OBVIOUS cause, then avoid it. But a fledgling sparrow that has been mauled by a cat is pretty safe.



Maybe it was easy prey because it was already sick. Predators tend to hunt down the sick because they're the easiest targets. I wouldn't touch any dead/dying animal. Just an opinion.