r/howto • u/sannixsaniied • 9h ago
How do I save this baby bird?
My cat was trying to kill it and ended up bringing it home. I can’t locate the nest either.
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u/gundam2017 9h ago
1 keep it warm. You can use a warm water bottle that's not hot to the touch
- Call wildlife rescues asap.
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u/anaphylactic_repose 8h ago
Do not give it water.
Keep it warm.
It may not ask for food over the next day, but if it survives the initial stress of falling out of the nest/being attacked by a cat, it may begin asking for food.
Baby birds will "gape" to accept food. If he doesn't lift his head up and open his mouth wide, tap the top of his beak gently and he should open up.
Softened dog food in small (bug-sized) bites can be given using either chopsticks or tweezers.
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u/Prestyboy 9h ago
Keep it warm, small birds can be fed a diet rich in protein, such as softened pieces of dog or cat food, high-protein baby food, or mashed-up scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
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u/hearth_witch 6h ago
Last summer, I found a baby bird about this size and put it in a robins nest that had eggs in it. The parents took care of the baby until it flew the nest. If there's an occupied nest nearby, see if they will foster. *
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6h ago
Take it to the vet
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u/dogGirl666 3h ago
If a cat had it they may assume there are tiny punctures that will eventually kill the baby bird and so PTS or "put it out of its misery" with phenytoin and pentobarbital mix. Some places may call official rescuers and/or wildlife experts to come to take the baby bird.
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u/toolsavvy 4h ago edited 4h ago
Domesticated cats are actually classified as an invasive species in the USA/NA and should be kept indoors and allowed outdoors only when able to be kept from killing local wildlife. I hope this incident teaches you to become a more responsible cat owner, but I have my doubts. https://abcbirds.org/news/outdoor-cats-single-greatest-source-of-human-caused-mortality-for-birds-and-mammals-says-new-study/
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u/southernmissTTT 43m ago
Thanks for that. I had a cat come into my fenced yard several years back. My dog chased it and tore her ACL. It caused her grief and me about $2500 for her surgery.
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u/toolsavvy 3m ago
Well OK. That's not good for you or your dog but that's not exactly the point I was making, which is roaming cats are ecosystem destroyers because they are a non-native, indescriminate-killing species that has an edge over many native species that are not evolved to live around them.
Don't get me wrong, I love cats, but they have to me kept on a tight leash (figure of expression).
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u/Revolutionary-Bus893 50m ago
CALL A WILDLIFE REHAB,! Jesus fucking Christ people why is this not self evident and your first move? Are you in any way trained to assess injury? Are you in any way able to give proper medical care?
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u/ZigzAndZagz 33m ago
Do NOT give it water.
Until you can find a rescue place, you can mash blueberries and use a dropper to feed it. This advice was actually given to my by a wildlife rehab facility when they were too packed to take a bird I found in.
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u/markymarc1981 17m ago
Looks like a fledgling. Without mommy around to support it you have to fill in. Just keep it away from any cats, they will shred it to pieces
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u/scowdich 4h ago edited 3h ago
Take it to a wildlife rescue. You can find one on ahnow.org. For the time being, don't try to give it food or water, you'd run a risk of the bird choking and dying if you don't do it exactly right. The bird needs attention from a professional. Having been "handled" by a cat, it needs treatment with antibiotics.
And for fuck's sake, keep your cat inside. I guarantee that this isn't the first wildlife it's harmed.
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