A Red-chested Cuckoo was dropped off at FreeMe Wildlife.
This bird had an unfortunate encounter with a domestic cat. Thankfully, no obvious wounds were found but the bird has suffered losing many of its feathers.
Cat bites can be fatal, as the mouth of a cat is a breeding ground for bacteria, not to mention their sharp pinprick teeth that do not leave any evidence of a wound. To be safe, this bird will be placed on a short course of antibiotics to avoid infection.
To find out a bit more about the lethal bacteria that cats carry in their saliva, here are a few informative links:
https://catsandbirds.ca/.../from-the-field-wild-birds.../
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Bacteria-From-Cat-Bites-Can-Be...
https://www.wildliferescueleague.org/.../cats-and-wildlife/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7376178/
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