Quick, help what do we do with a baby bird?

Kaz2904

DS just found the cat playing with a baby bird in the garden. It is very young, the feathers are only just growing.
What on earth are we supposed to do with it? We can't see a nest or anything and it obviously can't fly.
Heeeeeeellllllpppppp!

Jessw0

If you cant see a nest to put it back in, take the cat and everyone else out the garden and leave it. It's parents won't come and find it with everyone gathering round.

tanith

I agree with Jessw0 keep the cat in and leave the baby where you found it if no nest is visible... doesn't guarantee another cat won't come along but its the only way the parents will find it.. but if it can't fly there isn't much you can do.. it might die of the shock anyway... sorry not much help

Kaz2904

Cat has scarpered! I've looked on the RSPB's website and followed their advice. It's in a box in the kitchen. I've rung the RSPCA who are going to ring back with advice or send someone out. If the cat does come back in then we'll put the bird out in the garden but I don't want the poor thing to die of shock in the cold

calmspirit

I am sorry to say that it might die of shock anyway...so sad I know

I have had this happen many many times and the only time that a baby bird that I had rescued survived was when I put it in a high planter on one of my walls, with some paper and grass....and the parents heard it and came to feed it where it was for quite some time, it eventually flew off...I was so pleased!

sadly this is not the norm I think

Oldernotwiser

This may sound harsh but the best bet is to let the cat finish it off quickly. Sorry.

Mutter_2

Sorry to say, I think you should have left it where it was.

I'd just sat down to lunch on my lap when I heard the worst noise. I knew it involved my dog, it always does.
He had picked up a young Blackbird in his mouth, which as you can imagine was squawking fit to bust. The Parents were dive bombing dog's head with pecks and much screaming.

My table was covered in paperwork, so I was like a headless chicken trying to put my lunch down. I too was shrieking for him to drop the bird.
Got him in eventually, and was convinced he had killed the bird. This was a bird that could fly a little.

Shut the outside doors as I couldn't bear to see the carnage. Dog went into kitchen for an hour or so and then gingerly looked round the sofa to see what mood I was in.

Not good, dog slept downstairs that night. Don't like killer dogs.

Next morning went to look. No feathers, no blood and I have since seen the Blackbirds out with a little guy who I assume to be the same one.

I hope your little fella recovers as mine did.

Kaz2904

Just been collected by the rspca. Thanks for your help. I was wondering what on earth we were going to do as it has been needing to be fed 1/2 hourly. At least it's in safe hands now

calmspirit

oh thats lovely! Cant imagine the RSPCA doing that where I live ...sadly

Well done!

Kaz2904

I googled what to do and got to the RSPB site. It said that they don't have rescues, they rely on the RSPCA. It directs you to their website which has a phone number on it for emergencies. I was after advice about what to do/ feed it etc but they said that someone would come to collect it or phone me.
I googled around and found advice on what to feed it and thankfully had stuff in the cupboards (they are hungry little fellas!) so was able to feed it when it was crying out for food. DH and DD also went out in the garden to find some worms for it.


Sadly I believe that the cat has finished off the family tonight. It seems as though she may have found the nest. She had a male blackbird in her gob last night which flew away when I managed to prise her off it. DH found the body of a less developed bird on the kitchen mat earlier and she has since brought in another very baby blackbird. Unfortunately it was no longer with us.
She's not a very old cat- 2 years old now. We got her as a very young kitten and she has always been a hunter. She is now at the stage (or seems to be- let's hope it stays) where she doesn't kill slow worms any more, she brings them in still alive. We repatriate them and she doesn't bite them any more ust catches and brings in.
We put a collar on her very soon after we got her as we had to go on holiday. -Not the best planning in the world but I was only collecting DD from school, not planning on bringing home a baby stray! She was always a very outdoors cat which meant that we fitted a catflap early on so she could get back in again when it rained. DH was insistant that she had a collar so she had one. I was always brought up that it was bad for cats to have collars and was very reluctant. Willow seems to have decided the issue herself as we got back from our holiday and she had no collar on. We then took her to the vet to be spayed when we had boys coming in the house and she managed to get the lightshade off her head repeatedly. We felt it was safer for her to not have a collar or we were going to have one poor strangulated moggie.

Any advice from moggie owners/ lovers as to the best course of action?

We love the moggie but we hate the carnage!

She is well fed. Fluid intake could be better as she won't drink from tap water. (We make sure that there are plenty of overflowing muddy plant pots for her and she seems happy enough!).

We sparay her with water each time she brings something dead in, which seems to have worked with the slow worms but I'm not overly happy about the idea of a scared bird flying around the house.


GAH! What doyou guys do?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Elasticated collar. Lock the catflap between dusk and dawn.