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So, One of my kitties caught a bird this moring. A Robin. This is not new. The only thing unusual about it is that it was still alive when I caught her with it.
We took it away from her. I put it in a box with a bit of water, put some rags around her to support and comfort her. She's missing a bunch of feathers from her back, but her fligt feathers seem to be intact. She has a small bite mark low on her breast and another on her back. She can still flap, and was breathing fairly heavily. I'm trying to leave her alone, to reduce the stress of having humans around.
I don't think there is much eles I can do for her, but I thought I'd ask my Hatrack friends. Is there anything else I can do for her?
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Watch the bird for a while and if it seems to be suffering, I would put it out of it's misery. This may be tough to do but it is worse to allow the bird to suffer. If it gets better and seems to mend that's great, let nature take its course, but if it seems inevitable that it isn't going to make it then put the poor thing down.
Of course you could take it to a vet but I feel they will do nearly the same thing.
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What do robins eat, worms and insects? If you can, find it some food as well as water.
I expect that the biggest threats to it right now are shock and infection.
Do they have a place in your area that takes care of injured wildlife, and then returns them to their natural environments? I've been lucky to have always lived in places that had services like that, and I've made good use of them.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Defeather the robin, and make a spiffy hat or some other garment. I hear robins have purty feathers.
Then I'd suggest perhaps sauteeing or deep-frying it? Maybe with a beer-batter...that works great with fish, at least.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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check around-here, there's a vet school wildlife-type-place that will take injured wildlife and help them if they can be helped, or put them to sleep if they can't. There might be one there-its worth looking into
Posts: 3493 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I hope you have some type of covering on that box.
Because if the bird is truly just in shock and her wings are not damaged, she will suddenly come out of it, and just take off! You don't want her flying around the house. (Had this happen once with a pheasant that hit an overhead power line while flying from field to field. I picked him up, he was very stunned, and held him for awhile -- was going to get help. When suddenly he "came alive" again and bolted out of my arms. Really startling.)
Song birds are more fragile -- they can die simply of the fright of being caught by the cat. You may not be able to save her. Or you could just put her in the crook of a tree and let her recover out in her habitat.
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I already covered the box. She's standing up now, and her breathing is normal. Eyes are clear and bright. I'm going looking for robin-food.
Um, I can't put her in the crook of a tree, as all my cats are excellent climbers (I saw one climb up past the second story of our house after a crow, once). If I put her out there, I might as well marinate her first and put a little sprig of parsley on her back.
I think she's over the shock, though infection isn't out of the question yet.
Nobody in town does the rescued-robin thing, but maybe closer in to the city.
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
just give her a lot of food and water and keep her calm and confortable. I caught a sparrow once that was in some sort of shock. His eyes kept dialating and undialating but he did demand to be released by the third day.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Checked on Robin. She flew up to the ladder to the attic of my garage. Still wobbly, but I'm not going to chase her down, as I think that might be worse for her.
There are lots of nice tasty worms set out of she wants them, and some clean water. Have left garage door open, in case she feels up to leaving. Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Yep, Space Opera, Olivet is officially a great person. If that's not in a FAQ for newcomers thread, it should be.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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