Mourning Doves forage on the ground for small grains and seeds, much like grazing mammals such as deer and antelope. While such a pastoral life may seem peaceful, it attracts hungry predators. Just like lions stalk the tall grass for antelope, free-roaming house cats prowl yards and fields looking for doves and other small native wildlife. The toll they take can be staggering. It’s estimated that on average, domestic cats kill 2.5 billion birds in the U.S. every year.

Dove 25-4323 was found by a member of the public late last year after surviving a cat attack. As prey animals, Mourning Doves, like deer, fight hard to escape, putting every ounce of energy into getting away. They are even able to loosen the attachments of their tail feathers as they try to escape, so that the cat winds up with nothing but a mouthful of feathers. The feathers grow back, but claw wounds can penetrate deeply into the skin. Plus, cats have a lot of bacteria on their claws. Whenever we get cat-caught doves, they are placed on antibiotics in addition to medication for pain and inflammation.

In this case, the dove had only one tail feather left, and skin wounds on the flanks, back, and elbows. Despite being so small and having hollow bones to reduce weight, doves are resilient creatures. Our medical team examined the dove and initiated a treatment plan, including bandaging and meds. In theory, it should have only taken a few weeks for 4323 to be healed and ready to return to the wild. Unfortunately, during a routine recheck and dressing change, I noticed the wounds were becoming inflamed and wet, the skin getting increasingly fragile and easily torn. The bacteria from the cat’s claws was turning out to be worse than usual, and the skin was becoming infected despite standard medication.

Having seen cases like this before, I knew what additional medications needed to be added, and the wounds would need to be kept especially clean. Dove 4323 was a real fighter, resistant to human approach and much harder to handle than usual for a dove. Every wound cleaning and dressing change needed to be done with extreme care, as thorough and stress-free as possible, while tailoring the bandaging to stay on an especially jumpy bird. This would keep the wounds from getting worse and prevent additional feathers from being shed or broken.

It took about twice as long as usual, but I’m very happy to report that this tough little dove has now been released and is back with the flock, and able to continue his life. My thanks to the members of the public who took the time to rescue this bird and to the staff and volunteers here at CWC, who worked so hard on his behalf. If I may add one final thought: keeping cats indoors is safer for your pets and for the many native animals they may encounter.