Rescued Woodpigeon

[echelon]

A cat chased a young woodpigeon into my place of work on Saturday. I managed to fight the cat off and picked the bird up. It had been superficially bitten and was in shock so I treated its wounds and got my husband to come and pick it up. He took it home and when I got in I put some antibacterial gel on its wounds and gave it food/water.

It's been living in the cat box since then and it's going to the vets this morning for an antibiotic shot then hopefully it should be okay to let go in a day or two.

The problem is that I can't return it from where it came in case the cat gets it again and I can't return it in my garden because I have two cats.

Where do you suppose would it be best to take it to? We have woodland near us, but will it find enough food? It's seriously fed up and keeps trying to get out of its box.

Any advice would be welcome.

[wendy]

I personally would let it go near your house and let it take it's chances.
It may have a mate with chicks, who needs it's help.
Well done for giving it a helping hand.
Wendy

[secret squirrel]

Same here. I would take it back to roughly where you found it. Sadly it will have to take its chances. As Wendy says, it may have babies . We have lots of pigeons here and they clatter about in the trees at the end of the garden. We also have lots of cats and thus far the two seem to live along side each other without too much trauma.
Well done for coming to its aid.
lorna

[echelon]

I'm in work tomorrow, so I could take it back to its usual area then. I don't think it's got any chicks because it looks like a youngster.

[secret squirrel]

Good luck. You have given it a second chance. Well done.
lorna

[echelon]

I have just arrived back from the vets and he has given me 5 days worth of antibiotic to put into its water. He said that they can't give birds a long acting antibiotic shot It seems to be just a fledgling as it still has adult feathers coming in on its tummy.

My husband has given it a small log to perch on and it'll just have to put up with the cat box for a bit longer.

The vet didn't seem to have charged me for seeing it as I bought some cat wormer for the cats whilst I was there and the bill wasn't very much at the end

[wendy]

What a shame it can't go straight away, still if it is a baby hopefully it's help isn't wanted.
That was a result. I know a lot of vets have an arrangement with the RSPCA and will treat wildlife free.
Good luck
Wendy

[echelon]

Ta everybod. I shall let you know how it gets on.

[Grannyof4]

My Vet treats wildlife free.

[echelon]

Well, I treated the woodpigeon with the antibiotics and gave it plenty of food. We put it into the small cat carrier and went down to the wooded area by the river.

We let it go and it fluttered off and could sort of fly, but didn't go up high into the trees or anything. We returned home and I tidied up and had something to eat, but was worrying about it so I went back down to the river and it found it sitting there. I walked slowly towards it and it pottered off into the undergrowth and I couldn't find it.

I returned home, but collected some food and we all trooped back down to the river and I saw it walking around the playing field. I walked towards it and it went into somemore undergrowth (didn't fly off). I scattered the food all around then went home.

I went back down there this morning and couldn't find it.

I am worrying myself sick and it wasn't fit enough to be released and that it's been attacked or something. I don't know of any wildlife rescue places around here where I could have sent it for rehab

I'm just thinking about it all the time. Do you think it might be okay? It could fly and was trying to get out of the catbox all the way down to the river/wooded area.

[p.penn]

I'm afraid you may never know echelon - but you did your best and gave it a fighting chance.

[Steve the Gas]

Breathe Echy, breathe.

It's a wild bird, as Wendy says - it's got to take its chances. It will be armed with instincts though. It will stay high at night to roost and it knows how to find food.

Chill

[wendy]

I wouldn't worry too much. Every likelyhood it was getting the lay of the land and eventually felt brave enough to fly off. Also as it hadn't stretched it's wings in a number of days, it took a little time to get it's 'sea legs' so to speak.
You have done well to get it better.
Wendy

[echelon]

Ta everyone, I am trying to stop worrying.

I have done some internet searches and found some wildlife/bird resuce places up in Northumberland. I generally find about one bird a year that needs some sort of help and it would be good to know somewhere I can take it for rehab. I'll give them some money for its food etc. and all they would have to do is get it well enough in an aviary then let it go. I can't do any of that because I don't have enough room for an aviary and we have two cats.

I like birds and feel sorry for the predicaments they find themselves in sometimes.

[bluebell]

Hi Echelon, sounds like you did a fantastic job for that young woodpigeon. I think you have done exactly the right thing, its a wild bird after all and it deserves to be back where it belongs.

All vets have a duty to give emergency treatment to any wild animal or bird (they wouldn't charge a member of public for bringing them in, you would however have to fill in a wildlife form). This isn't anything to do with RSPCA, more to do with vet's duty.

I had an adult pigeon which had got caught up in some fishing line and had an injured leg, Floyd lived with us for about six weeks, we kept endeavouring to release him and he wouldn't fly off, then one day he took off, flew onto the roof of the house, waited ten minutes then flew off. Phew - Result!