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Advice needed regarding fledglings and cat!! (1 Viewer)

KClifton

New member
Hi, I'm sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, or has been asked before, but I'm just after some help as to what to do next.

My cat caught a bird today and although we managed to get the cat to drop the bird and brought the cat inside, the bird hopped away and through a tiny gap in the fence and we now have no idea where the bird went, we've looked everywhere in the garden, although I know its probably hiding somewhere.

Our worry now, as the bird looked small, and did not seem to be able to fly, is that it may be a fledgling and our neighbour has told us there is a nest in a bush in her garden.. we're worried that the cat is going to catch all of them.

We have kept her in the rest of today, but we're not sure what to do next? Do we keep her in the next few days, incase there is a nest nearby and they are learning to fly? She is very used to going outside and hasn't bought a bird back before so we really don't know what to do next. We are going to get her a collar with a bell tomorrow, but will that be enough if they can't fly?

Sorry for the long message, any advice would be very much appreciated.
 
I would never let a cat outdoors. Cats (pet and ferrel) kill more than a billion birds each year in the United States and I would expect a proportionately large number for the UK. If I let my dogs out to hunt and kill cats during the day I would not be very popular.
 
Sorry but cats and any small living thing, terrestrial or aerial are incompatible - even those adults well able to fly. A collar and bell won't be enough by a long long way. Hunting and even presenting 'kills' is ingrained genetic behaviour.

It is even possible that the fledgling bird died from it's contact with your cat even if the attack didn't immediately kill it - stress, bacteria, infection, toxoplasmosis - the slightest scratch that breaks the skin can prove eventually fatal.

Really the only way to prevent your cat having an impact on other life is to isolate it from them - an enclosed cat run works. Or you could feed your cat so much that it is literally too fat to move at all and has no interest in going outside.

Ultimately it's your responsibility to prevent the carnage. Good luck ! :)

BTW - perhaps join up to the "Ruffled Feathers" forum where there is a "Cats" subforum. There is lots of research there proving the devastating impact that cats have. Consequently it's a reality check, and not much positive cat sentiment there. In this country where the wildlife evolved in the absence of cats (and foxes too) , the impact has been catastrophic.




Chosun :gh:
 
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