Cat got my parakeet through the cage - still alive...

[jenesis536]

Last night as we were going to bed I heard an awful squaking coming from the living room where the bird cage was. We have a large cage on a stand for our 2 parakeets, and my cat was clinging to the lower side of the cage part trying to pull one of my parakeets through the bars. I scared the cat away, the the poor keet was kind of stuck to the bars so I released it. It was able to climb back up to a perch, but it's missing the longest feathers on one side, there is blook on the lower ones and what appears to be a bite mark on the top and bottom. I am thinking my cat was able to claw the wing and start pulling that out, and as the wing came threw the bars he was able to start biting on it.

Anyway, there wasn't a lot of blood and it appeard to coagulate quickly, so I didn't want to take the bird out and shock it or hurt it while trying to grab it and check on the wing. I kept an eye on it for 15 minutes or so to make sure it seemed ok.

This morning it was still alive, although kind of puffled up and sleeping even after we took the cover off. My other keet was awake.

What should I do? Hope for the best? Do you think it's just trying to recover? I've never had this happen before.

 

[Akane]

Take it to an avian vet, get the wounds cleaned, and start the bird on antibiotics. Cats have very dirty mouths and nearly always result in infections. Even humans have nearly lost limbs because they ignored cat bites. Birds are far more sensitive and wild ones usually die even if they escape the cat.

 

[Duck_feeder]

Definitely get your bird to the vet ASAP for antibiotics. Even just a scratch from a cat can cause a lethal infection.

 

[dutchhollow]

I hate to say it to, but most very small birds or animals (mice and such) that get bit by cats end up dying from infection.

 

[jenesis536]

Thank you!

 

[vanalpaca]

Hate to say it, but cat puncture wounds in birds usually end badly.

Supportive care for the injured bird would include keeping it WARM, so put a light on the cage that the 'keet can get in and out of.

If the cat just got feathers, bird may be ok. But if bite or claws punctured, outlook is not good.

Will need to do something to protect the survivor from a repeat accident.

Let us know the outcome for your little one.

 

[BAMABIRDS]

Don't know how much you like this cat, but if it was mine it would be bye bye kitty!

 

[jenesis536]

Unfortunately Sumo didn't make it. He was eating and moving about the cage 24 hours later and looking a better... and the wing did not look like it had bit marks and was looking better, but by morning he was gone.

Thank you for all of your support.

 

[AquaEyes]

I'm so sorry to hear this.

Unfortunately, as has been posted previously, cat scratches and bites often lead to infections in birds that kill them within a few days. I've heard stories similar to yours, where the bird seems to recover from the trauma of the wounds, only to die later. While some people will say their cats get along fine with birds in the house, I, myself, would never trust one. Even if there was no "intent" to kill, anything breaking the skin in "play" can be deadly to a pet bird. It was a horrible thing to happen, and I'm sorry for your loss.

~Chris

 

[jenesis536]

We're working on a metal seed catcher for the cage. I had one with my old cage and I think it will prevent them from being able to reach up to the cage. I put a cloth seed catcher on it for now and that seems to have detoured them for now. It's a stand-alone cage on a stand.

I had my last cat for 15 years and he never blinked an eye at the birds. He passed in November and we got two cats in January. They've been pretty good, so I was shocked that this happened, but it's natural I suppose.

For those of you with cats, what has worked for you? We're squirting the cats whenever they even glance at the cage now... doing the seed catcher... it's away from any surface they can jump on to access the cage...

They are indoor cats, but it makes me worry if one gets out and the chickens are free-ranging what could happen. We have small children and they are doing good with keeping the doors shut, but we can't always rely on that... at some point a visitor or one of the kids might leave the door open and let the cats out.