How to Help Wildlife Attacked by a Cat or Dog


I love cats and dogs as much as the next person but it has to be said that without them, wildlife rescues would have a far quieter life. Cat attacks alone probably account for around 80% of bird casualities brought into your average wildlife hospital. Even worse are the thousands of birds and animals who are attacked each year who never get the help they need.

It's all too easy to take the victim from your cat and simply release it again. But you've probably just condemned the vitcim to a slow death. Cats have a lot of bacteria on their teeth and these pass into the victims bloodstream when it's bitten. Without antibiotic therapy, ideally within 4 hours, the casualty is likely to die from septacaemia. It only takes one tiny scratch which may not be immediately visible to cause this. So any bird or animal which is caught by a cat should be rescued, contained and taken to a wildlife rescue for treatment.

Injuries from dog attacks are generally more obvious, although in the case of hedgehogs it can be difficult to see them through the spines. Again it is best to assume that there are injuries and seek assistance for any animal which has been attacked by a dog.

Small birds and animals can just be placed in a suitable container and taken to your local wildlife rescue, but it is advisable to seek help in capturing and moving large animals such as foxes, deer, badgers, swans and geese. Help should be sought urgently as a bird or animal which has been attacked may go into fatal shock. If you have the casualty contained, keep it somewhere warm, quiet and dark to help it to calm down.

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