# Help!! Just saved a baby bird from a cat - now what??



## Fuzzball (May 16, 2007)

As title says, went out for a walk and saw a cat 'playing' with a baby bird. The cat ran off and the bird looked fine so put in closer to the bush and carried on and hoped its parents would come for it. On the way back the poor thing was still sat there and there was a more cats on the way as it was sat chirping away! Felt sorry for the poor thing so scooped it up with a baby bib and placed it in the bottom of the pram where it sat chirping all the way home.

Problem is now what do I do? Ive put it in a cardboard animal carrier which has some hay in it for bedding, its moving around well enough and making a right racket, just not sure what to feed it or if its properly housed. Ideally I would prefer to hand it into a sanctuary or similar to rear, im guessing most vets wouldnt bother with it though and I dont know where to start looking! Im near March in Cambridgeshire.

Am about to take pictures and upload them, hopefully someone could tell me roughly how old it is or what type of bird it is??


----------



## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

If you drop it off at a vets they will humanely destroy it. 

Seeing as you only have a tortie you won't have any waxworms to hand but they would sustain it for it a bit.

Marina


----------



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Not all vets automatically euthanise wildlife. Best to ring around.


----------



## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Just dont phone teh RSPCA


----------



## dragonguy (Apr 14, 2009)

yea do not phone rspsa


----------



## stephenie191 (May 29, 2007)

I would give it a shallow dish of water, meal worms as said.

Maybe ring a wildlife sanctuary,

how old is it? 

If its ok and flying just let it go somwhere away from a road (and cats lol) : victory:


----------



## bassy 1019 (Sep 26, 2006)

can you not put a pic up to see what species that you have? if feeding mealworms cut the heads off first, as they can bury through baby birds throats. different birds require different food.


----------



## lizardkid (Dec 30, 2008)

BTW dont bother looking for help from Google all the sites will probably say something like ":gasp: you rescued a baby bird that had fallen out of a nest onto the path?! OMG there's no way to help now!" But because it was the victim of a cat it probably was quite a way away from the nest anyway.

*THINGS NOT TO DO*

_Don't try and return it to the nest_-the bird will probably abandon the nest and chicks because it can smell you.

_Don't try to keep it forever-_it will be unbelievably hard and there is a good chance that the little birdie will die.

*WHAT TO DO*

Check for injuries. An injured bird will need more attention and to be handed over to a wildlife sanctuary sooner than a non-injured bird. Put it in a dog/cardboard carrier that is adequatley ventilated and lined with paper towels. Feed it bird food-like you find in pet shops-and/or headless mealworms. Contact a wildlife care centre, licensed wildlife rehabilitator, or wildife sanctuary ASAP because caring for a baby bird can be hard.

Hope this helps


----------



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Parent birds will take babies back that have fallen from the nest. The idea that they won't is a myth.


----------



## bassy 1019 (Sep 26, 2006)

birds smelling humans? birds can not smell humans? or am i wrong?


----------



## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Check it for teeth marks, if it's been bitten it won't matter what you do, cats mouths are so full of bacteria it will most likely die from sceptecimia (not sure if spelling is right) in around 3days


----------



## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

I'm fairly sure they cannot but the intrusion will not be welcome and if the bird had fledged in the first place putting it back in the nest won't be any good because the parent birds remember where they fledge to and dont return to the nest!

Marina


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Birds dont use scent to detect humans, so you are right. Ive put babies back in the nest before especially swallows and the parents have never abandoned the nest. Most birds found though are fledglings that have just left the nest so even if you put them back they wont stay. I always put them in a high bush or on a shed roof etc so not an easy target for cats and the parents will find them and continue to feed them. Ive never known this not to work


----------



## Fuzzball (May 16, 2007)

After ringing round our local wildlife rescues and both being closed we rang the RSPCA who told us just to put it in our back garden and hope for the best! Well decided not to do that as know either our dogs or the neighbours cats would find it and we dont have any hedges or bushes etc to hide it in so went and asked my neighbour what to do as she really likes birds.
Anyways, she has handreared a couple of baby birds before, it was a few years ago but she has taken the little 1 in to see if she can get him to strength. She said he is a sparrow and that she will fatten him up for a day or 2 and then try putting it out on top of her shed for a few hours a day to see if any of the birds she feeds will take it on. I gave her all the numbers I found on the net if she has any problems. She seemed thrilled to be able to help and soon found a shoe box to make him a home!

Will pop round tomorrow or Sunday and see how the little one is doing


----------

