A cat caught a bird in my back yard, bird looks like it's in shock what should I do?

Question

My husband and I have a bird feeder in our back yard and often there are birds that feed on the seed on the ground. Well, lately we have been having neighbors cats come into our back yard usually at night and in the morning basically prowling on these birds and squirrels. Well, tonight there was another cat in our back yard (mind you we have no cats they are our neighbors) and it was too late we chased it off but it already caught one of our song sparrows and now the poor thing is in complete shock it looks like it has a broken leg as well and the back feathers are clearly ruffled up and messed up, what are the odds that this bird is going to live and what are my chances of increasing it's survival. Also, how can I keep my d**n neighbors cats out of my yard do I have to result to just shooting them with a bb gun? Or is there an offensive product I can apply outside to keep them out. Dammit, there is a reason I don't have a cat but it doesn't keep me from dealing with others.

Answer 1

take it to the vet

Answer 2

Get the bird to a local wildlife rehab..it needs to be treated with antibiotics if it sustained any wounds from the cat.  Cats carry a lot of bacteria in their saliva which results in infection and death quickly.  Let your neighbors know what damage their cats are causing..and let them know that you will harass the cats if they come into your yard. Also, depending on where you live..there may be cat "leash laws" and it may be illegal for them to be letting their cats roam freely.   I would not suggest hurting the cats..it is the owners fault that they are killing birds..not the cats.  You can deter them by means that will not hurt them, like squirting them with a hose everytime you see them in your yard.  Look here for a rehab near you:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA...

Answer 3

The only thing you can do for the bird is keep it as comfortable as possible and take it to the vet.  As for the cat I can't think of anything at the moment to keep them out.  

I hope I helped and I hope the bird is OK!

Answer 4

Like others have said keep it warm, in a quiet, dim lit place, and try to offer water without drowning it.  That will help it recover from shock but if it's leg is broken it will need vet care.  You may have to go through a wildlife rehabber because not all vets are willing to work on wild animals.  Even it's going to take long term care putting it in the hands of a rehabber would be best anyway.

As for preventing future events have you looked into cat fencing?  There are many premade types of fencing available but the feral cat society has put out instructions on how to add onto an existing fence cheaply.  http://www.feralcat.com/fence.html

Answer 5

Well the sparrow,  is most likely not going to live. The best thing to do is to give it to an animal shelter. But if you want to keep it, try feeding it ground up bird seed, that usually feed the birds out side, with water, and put that in a turkey baster, and force feed the bird,, until she will eat it her self. Also even though it is a grown bird, it can't feeze to death, so make sure you keep some towels in the box you are going to keep it in. For the cats, you should get a spinkler on all night, cats hate water, and they will deffinitally not go near the sprinklers.

Answer 6

The sparrow might not make it through the night.  Give it a warm bottle wrapped in a dishtowel and try feeding it some warm sugar water with an eyedropper or gently dip its beak in some sugar water. If you force it to drink, you could drown it.   Sick birds need warmth and if he's in shock or injured he'll huddle next to the bottle. Like us, they can depleate energy reserves.  Sugar water will help replace that. . it's the Gatorade of the bird world. ;O) If he drinks even a drop it will help him.  Leave some seed and water for him overnight, but he probably won't eat.  If he makes it though the night, try giving him sugar water again, then see if a vet or animal rescue will take him. Caring for an injured bird is time consuming and if you don't know what you're doing, it can hurt them.

As for the cats, stop feeding the birds for awhile.  They'll move on to another hunting area. Also address the issue with your neighbors.  As responsible pet owners they should understand that you do not want their animals on your property. . . and if they don't get it, a well placed BB in the *** is quite a deterent for any animal.