Birds that have been bitten by cats need help immediately. Cat saliva contains bacteria that is usually fatal to birds unless appropriate antibiotics are administered very soon after the injury. Cat predation is a major threat to bird populations, especially those already on the decline due to habitat loss.
Cat bites and scratches can be fatal to pet birds. The Pasteurella multocida bacteria can go systemic reapidly and a bird who looks fine after a bite or scratch can be dead in the next couple days.
The Vet may swab the wound and send a sample to the lab. This is not a situation where you wait and see how the bird is the next day before you decide to take him to a Vet. Treatment needs to begin as soon as possible. If given the correct treatment and antibiotics in time, the bird should recover fully.
Looking after injured birds
Once the bird is caught, examine it quickly and place it in a well ventilated covered box to wait for treatment. Darkness reduces stress and is likely to be the best first aid you can give the bird. It is also the best treatment for shock.
Several times, I've found relatively localized piles of feathers on the ground with no body in sight. nickcarlson: With cat attacks, I often find the whole body, with either a broken neck or a missing head. If you're willing to look closer, a cat's canines leave distinctive puncture marks as well.
Mandatory Antibiotic Treatment
More than 90% of all cats carry pasteurella multocida bacteria in their saliva, so the chances of infection are very high. Birds caught by cats will usually succumb to the septicaemia within 48 to 72 hours, unless they are treated promptly with adequate antibiotics.
Take it to the vet asap so it doesn't suffer for long. If they can't make it healthy, they will judge on that, then they can give it an injection to euthanize it. Is it more humane to kill a wounded animal or leave it to die? Personally, I choose to kill it if its not going to get better on its own.
Birds that are in shock appear weak, unresponsive, fluffed up and breathe in slowly and out quickly. Place the bird in a quiet, semi-dark, warm, humid environment. Warmth is essential in getting birds through a state of shock – temperature should be between 25 and 30 degrees.
Being cage- protective is very common in traumatized birds. If the bird will not step up in the cage, don't push it. One option is to put a playstand very close to the open door of the cage, put some food and toys on the playstand, then walk away. Let the bird decide when, or IF it wants to come out today.
Birds bones heal much faster than mammals, and the bones may be sufficiently healed after just 3-4 weeks of care.
Just as we're designed to heal after a break, the average bird can recover from a minor wound without any intervention. Often it will be starvation or a predator, rather than the injury itself, that ends her life.
After being bitten, most people who become ill will show symptoms within 3 to 5 days, but this can range anywhere from 1 to 14 days. Most Capnocytophaga infections usually occur with dog or cat bites.
For infected bites clavulanate-amoxycillin or combination therapy with penicillin, or clindamycin, and a fluoroquinolone is recommended. Ideally culture and sensitivity testing should be performed, but this will often be impossible for time and cost reasons.
A cat who eats a bird slowed down or killed by salmonellosis is going to be exposed to large numbers of the bacteria, which can easily overwhelm the cat's own natural protective measures. When a cat develops a Salmonella infection after eating (or being suspected of eating) a bird, songbird fever is the result.
Hunting Adaptations
They have sharp claws on forepaws that are strong enough to stun prey. They can climb short distances very quickly, allowing them to attack birds in feeders or trees. Finally, they have powerful jaws with sharp teeth that are capable of delivering a quick, killing blow.
The following are indications that a bird may be sick or injured: The bird is quiet, dull, the eyes may be closed, and it has fluffed feathers (the bird looks “puffed up”). It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand.
Signs include seizures, ataxia, tremors, head tilt and blindness. Head trauma is common if the bird is free flying. The commonest cause of seizures is hypocalcaemia, hypoglycemia (neonates and starved raptors), lead poisoning and trauma.
These signs may include feather picking, depression, behavior changes, seizures, shallow breathing, lack of muscle control (ataxia), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), increased thirst and urination, and green or bloody diarrhea.
It may be that the bird is in shock and will soon recover so you can let it go. If it is more seriously injured, this will reduce stress on the bird until you can get advice on how you can help it.
Keeping the bird in the dark helps reduce stress, and a source of heat can help with shock. You can wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and place it inside or next to the box, making sure the bird can get away from the heat if it wants to. If it begins to pant, remove the heat source immediately.
Stress Lines/Bars – A physical indicator that your bird us stressed is the visible appearance of stress lines or “stress bars” on their feathers. Stress lines are small lines that run down the shafts of the feathers. Look at the bird's feathers for an indication if they suffering stress lines.
So, cats kill birds because they are following their natural instincts. Their mothers train them to hunt from a young age, and it is all many cats know. Even if you regularly feed your cat, the natural instinct can be too strong to overcome.
How Are Cats Dangerous to Birds? This may seem like an obvious answer but cats can hurt or potentially kill a bird very easily. It will hurt a bird with its sharp claws or can cause serious wounds and an infection from the bacteria in its mouth.
To keep your birds and cat away from each other, you should try to make sure that the cat is never in the same room as the birdcage, unless it is supervised. Cages or aviaries need to be well secured and roomy enough that the birds inside can escape from any inquisitive paws that manage to reach inside.