Cats have a reputation for being aloof, but this is not always the case. More often than not, cats will ignore birds and other small animals unless they feel like playing with them.
However, if you own a cat and bird feeder in your garden, you may find that your cat has taken an interest in the birds who visit it. The reason for this is simple: Cats are predators by nature and love to hunt things smaller than themselves. Birds are just too tempting of prey for many cats to resist! For this reason, today, I will discuss how to treat a bird attacked by a cat in case you come across such a situation. So let us dig into the matter.
Contents
Which Problems Might Occur if a Cat Attacked a Bird?
The most obvious problem is hemorrhage. A cat’s teeth are sharp and tend to tear or scratch the skin of a bird, for example. As a result of these cuts, blood will pour out like water from an open hose-faucet.
There was one case where about 1/3 of the bird’s blood spilled out in less than 2 minutes after a cat attacked it.
If a significant amount of blood is lost from wounds on vital organs such as the head, heart, liver, or kidneys, death can occur due to blood loss. In cases where there are only small cuts and scrapes on the skin surface that do not normally bleed, the amount of blood loss is not enough to cause death, but it can lead to anemia or poor health.
If you are hit really hard in the stomach, you might bleed. Also, if you have a small injury on your face and you get scratched, you might bleed. And, if you have a small scratch on your eye, you might bleed. Finally, if you have a small injury on your brain or spine, you might bleed.
These areas do not have any bones or external covering protecting them from predators. Overall, hemorrhage is often considered a bird’s greatest threat from cats since it occurs most frequently among all bird species. So it is necessary to know how to treat a bird attacked by a cat so that you can easily take care of the injured animal in times of dire need.
How to Treat a Bird Attacked by a Cat
Step 1: Stop the cat.
At first, you must stop the cat from harming the bird, it will lessen the possibility of further damage.
Step 2: Call a vet.
The most important thing is stopping the bleeding and getting help for the bird as soon as possible. Some cats have fleas that carry disease, so it’s also good to capture a sample of the blood or mites from under the cat’s tail if there are any diseases you don’t want your pet birds getting (e.g., feline leukemia). Do not do this if your cat has been feeding on wild animals. However, this can cause other infections like Baylisascaris procyonis.
If you cannot capture an adult cat, then you must at least find out where all of their hiding spots are since they will likely return there when you aren’t looking.
Step 3: Make sure the cat cannot get back to the bird.
Once you know your bird is unharmed, it’s time to prevent more stalking and attacks from happening in the future. First, take whatever steps necessary to make sure that your cats can no longer have access to the bird’s cage; this will likely require covering up any holes or cracks in the wall or floor underneath where they enter, as well as sealing off any places where there are gaps behind the walls where a cat could sneak through (i.e., between studs).
You may need to block off some of your windows to keep sunlight out during the day. At night, your birds should be safe from most cats. It’s also a good idea to cover up vents, as cats can easily jump through them.
Step 4: Cleanse any wounds.
It’ll be a good idea to clip off any feathers or loose skin that the cat’s claws have torn off; this will make it easier for your vet to check for infections. Open wounds should also be rinsed and dressed (but not deeply sutured or anything like that) since some birds are prone to getting infections when their skin is broken open, even just a little bit. For tips on cleaning your bird’s injury, please consult my previous post about hot water burns. This kind of wound should do well with simple first-aid like this.
Step 5: Try to calm the bird down.
You’ll likely need to pick your bird up and hold it in your hand for a while if you want to make sure there is no permanent damage or lingering fear; this will also help you keep track of any injuries you can take proper precautions during treatment. If the cat attack was terrible, give your bird some time outside for air or something similar after cleaning any wounds it has; birds are highly affected by their surroundings, so being exposed to fresh air (or even sunlight) can work wonders at helping them get back to normal as quickly as possible.
Step 6: Be sure not to panic!
This step is probably one of the most important ones on the list, so never forget that. It’s important not to let your bird see you distressed or upset; stress is a genuine thing in the lives of many exotic birds (huge parrots and similar), and their responses to it can vary greatly based on their personalities.
For example, some do well with being held close during stressful times, while others may bite down hard enough to break a finger or draw blood. If you have more than one bird, also be aware that they will likely react the next time negatively that their cage-mate goes back into its cage after such an event; many people report having lost pet birds this way after bringing home a cat from outside, so try not to let your own emotions get out of control when caring for birds after a cat attack.
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Step 7: Be wary of signs of further stress.
While this is something that you’ll likely need to be constantly aware of, it’s also important to know what symptoms to look out for when caring for birds after a cat attack, since any amount of stress can cause problems when kept up too long; anything from feather-picking and plucking, abnormal droppings or regurgitation (usually in the form of undigested seeds), overgrown nails, and bad breath are more than common.
Older birds are especially vulnerable to developing Crop Stasis (where their crop stops functioning correctly and food remains inside them indefinitely), which can be hard to treat if not caught in time. If you suspect your bird has crop stasis, take them to the vet immediately.
Conclusion
If the bird is not injured, you can clean it by slightly dampening a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide or simply soap and water, and gently wipe off any chicken droppings on its feathers. If it has been attacked by a cat (or another animal), wash its wounds with warm water mixed with some mild antiseptic solution available from pharmacies to prevent infection. I hope all this information has answered how to treat a bird attacked by a cat. Thank you, and have a good day.
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