Racing Pigeon Is Attacked By Cat And Emaciated

The following story about a racing pigeon was shared with us by Wild Friends at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah.

Sometimes not all of our wildlife rehabilitation patients were supposed to be wild, like this domestic racing pigeon. This bird had a band, but sadly the owners did not want her back. She obviously was unable to survive in the wild after being found severely emaciated and unable to fly.

The finder claimed she was also caught by a cat, but thankfully did not suffer much damage to that aspect.

Weighing under 200 grams (about 7 ounces) upon intake, she had lost over half of her body weight and her keel was very sharp. After two days of aggressive rehydration, we started her on EmerAid IC Omnivore three times a day at 10% of her body weight, which changed slightly every day.

After a week of just EmerAid, she was almost up to 300 grams (about 10.5 ounces), and we started offering half a teaspoon of seed, which she ate with conviction. We still tube-fed her three times a day.

After another week, she was cut to just two feedings with one whole feeding of just seed. A few days later she was getting very feisty and was cut to just one tube feeding in the morning and offered no more than one tablespoon of seed at two separate feeding times.

After just three weeks she was almost 400 grams (about 14 ounces) and not devouring every speck of seed she was given, so she was able to join our adoptable pigeon flock without fear of refeeder syndrome or that she would gorge herself on seed.

Once she was out in the flight was when we discovered that she might be female. She was swarmed by suitors. She was named Sterling and is happy with her new mate at Wild Friends, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and ready to find her forever home. She regained her flight after gaining the weight back and is fully flighted.