Baby bluetit found - help!

[RKB]

Originally Posted by letticecoonan

but surely the fact that it perked up as much as it did when it was fed and watered counts for something?

Not much, I'm afraid. They usually eat about 50+ caterpillars per day, so it's not nearly enough.

If you give it a big feed now (about 5-6 peas worth), it might be alive at 6 am. Feed it again then, and then release it.

[letticecoonan]

I just woke it up and gave it a few paintbrushes' worth of the mealworm mixture but it stopped eating after a few and has now buried its head under its wing refusing to eat anymore. Just seems very very tired

[~T~]

Originally Posted by letticecoonan

I just woke it up and gave it a few paintbrushes' worth of the mealworm mixture but it stopped eating after a few and has now buried its head under its wing refusing to eat anymore. Just seems very very tired

If the cat broke the skin then infection may be setting in causing this. All you can do is feed it as much as it will take and hope for the best really I'm afraid. Hopefully it will make it through the night.

[letticecoonan]

here he his this morning, so thankfully he did survive! He's eaten quite a lot and at first seemed to have gained some strength but then like before he very quickly became extremely tired, has a little rest, asks for more food, preens a little and then gets tired again.

I'm very worried if i take him outside now the same thing as yesterday will happen and i'm not going to be able to just watch him plummet to his death or sit out there all day and not do anything

[jaelen]

It sounds like you've tried your very best- I don't think there's any more you could have done for the poor little guy.

Has he made it through the night? I don't know where your location is, but it's a lovely morning here in North London, so maybe if he's still alive and eating you could try putting the cage out again- maybe his parents might take over feeding him... is there any way you can take the top off so that the parents can get to him, but he can't fall or jump out?

good luck with all this-it's not easy rearing lost chicks!

jaelen

[jaelen]

Ahhhh- bless! I was replying and missed your most recent post this morning.

He will behave like a baby- eat and sleep, eat and sleep- and every time he wakes will want feeding!

It has been years since I attempted to hand-rear a lost chick, so I will let more experienced experts help you on this one- but you must be doing something right, for him to have made it through the night and still be feeding.

GOOD LUCK!
jaelen

[letticecoonan]

HAPPY ENDING!!

Since my last post he kept asking for lots of food (about every five minutes) so i dutifully fed him every time. He perked up a lot and had a very thorough preen all over, then started jumping up at the bars and chirp-chirping.

I took the cage outside into the sunshine (same place as before) and went inside to wait and watch. He called and one of his parents very quickly came and investigated, then flew away. I went outside and took the cage away leaving him exposed in his little box before going back in (now that I knew his parents were around I felt a little safer doing this)

Again his parents came to him and then went back and forth in short distances as if to say 'c'mon you have to fly this way!!' He waddled around a bit and then VERY gracefully and confidently took off in their direction and perched safely in our elder tree where we have often seen the little family feeding.

Looks like an entire night of no sleep (for me), lots of feeding, cooing and a constant rotation of cosy hot water bottles has given him that strength he needed to get back to nature!

(O ye of little faith that told me he would die by morning!!)

thank you so much for the tips and suggestions - we couldn't've done it without you!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by letticecoonan

HAPPY ENDING!!

Since my last post he kept asking for lots of food (about every five minutes) so i dutifully fed him every time. He perked up a lot and had a very thorough preen all over, then started jumping up at the bars and chirp-chirping.

I took the cage outside into the sunshine (same place as before) and went inside to wait and watch. He called and one of his parents very quickly came and investigated, then flew away. I went outside and took the cage away leaving him exposed in his little box before going back in (now that I knew his parents were around I felt a little safer doing this)

Again his parents came to him and then went back and forth in short distances as if to say 'c'mon you have to fly this way!!' He waddled around a bit and then VERY gracefully and confidently took off in their direction and perched safely in our elder tree where we have often seen the little family feeding.

Looks like an entire night of no sleep (for me), lots of feeding, cooing and a constant rotation of cosy hot water bottles has given him that strength he needed to get back to nature!

(O ye of little faith that told me he would die by morning!!)

thank you so much for the tips and suggestions - we couldn't've done it without you!

Fabulous news, you really couldn't have done more, you've given the little one the best chance you could and hopefully its learnt a valuable lesson about cats too. Well Done

[rossy]

well done , we just love a happy ending, and well done to rkb who gave useful advice, as always. rossy.