Pigeons and cats

Oh because I was under the impression that the 150mg ones are for 30kg+ animals so I'd have to really cut that already tiny pill into even smaller parts. I'm afraid I'd overdose the poor thing!

The 15mg ones say one pill for a 3kg animal, so I figured I'd give him 1/6 of the pill every day. But if you say I should be giving him half a pill then I'll do that instead, since you're the expert here!

Thanks so much for your help :)

Nilay wrote:

Oh because I was under the impression that the 150mg ones are for 30kg+ animals so I'd have to really cut that already tiny pill into even smaller parts. I'm afraid I'd overdose the poor thing!

The 15mg ones say one pill for a 3kg animal, so I figured I'd give him 1/6 of the pill every day. But if you say I should be giving him half a pill then I'll do that instead, since you're the expert here!

Thanks so much for your help :)

Dosages for pigeons are about 4 times higher than dosages for dogs and cats, weight by weight. I'm not sure why, it must be something to do with their constitution.
I usually give an adult pigeon weighing about 350 g, 7.5 mg of Baytril per day, and it can be given once a day (easier, especially with ferals who only come once a day to eat!) or divided into two daily doses. This corresponds to the higher dosage for pigeons, and it's used to combat acute infections for a short period of time (5-7 days).
Maintenance doses, for continuing treatment, can be lower, and are used for prolonged treatment (several weeks), such as when the bird is recovering from an awkward fracture.

But you're right about the 150 mg pills, you'd need 1/20 of a pill, but after much pill chopping I've discovered that a tiny cube with 1 mm sides is just that!

It is also possible to mix a pill, or half a pill, with enough water to make a suspension which can be administered with precision, but actually administering that to a wriggly feral demands some skill -- not to mention catching the little blighter in the first place!

That was extremely helpful Teresa, thanks! :) I will start giving him the right dosage tomorrow. His lower eyelid is still quite swollen but I think he's getting better. He's also moulting I believe, which combined with his squinty eye is making him look very shaggy . Titan, on the other hand, is looking beautiful, his feathers are very smooth and shiny. He still slaps my hand away from his food though .

Nilay wrote:

That was extremely helpful Teresa, thanks! :) I will start giving him the right dosage tomorrow. His lower eyelid is still quite swollen but I think he's getting better. He's also moulting I believe, which combined with his squinty eye is making him look very shaggy . Titan, on the other hand, is looking beautiful, his feathers are very smooth and shiny. He still slaps my hand away from his food though .

Oh well, that's boys for you!... Glad to know he's doing well!

Hi Nilay,

How are you and your little heroe doing? I'm also from Lisboa, and I'm quite happy to find someone here that actually informs him/herself about things before judging, because you know how, unfortunately pigeons are treaten very bad here in our country. I just love animals and I also reacted the same way you did when I found Balsa, my first pigeon rescue eheh

I hope your friend is better now, if you need any help that, just ask! It's nice to meet someone from Lisboa here at Pigeon Angels!

By the way, Thanks for helping him!

Nilay wrote:

That was extremely helpful Teresa, thanks! :) I will start giving him the right dosage tomorrow. His lower eyelid is still quite swollen but I think he's getting better. He's also moulting I believe, which combined with his squinty eye is making him look very shaggy . Titan, on the other hand, is looking beautiful, his feathers are very smooth and shiny. He still slaps my hand away from his food though .

Hi Rosa, it's nice to meet you too!

We're good thanks :). Unfortunately it looks like every pigeon in the neighbourhood knows there's food here now, so whenever I try to feed "my" pigeons, all the rest flock and start fighting eachother and making a big mess of things! And as I said, I live in an apartment so there isn't exactly much space between my window and the outside...Most of the food ends up on the street .

Out of curiosity, since you live in Lisbon too, have you noticed what appears to be falcons flying up in the sky sometimes? Just a few minutes ago while I was trying to feed Titan, he and all the other pigeons stopped and started looking at the sky intently, not caring about the food (which was very strange ). So I looked up and saw what looked like three falcons. A few seconds later all pigeons started flying off for cover (I assume). This is the second time I've noticed those falcons (if they are falcons). Have you noticed anything like that in your area?

Hmmm... if they're using falcons they're doing it on he quiet... it would be interesting to know for sure. Is there any way you can photograph them? Even from a fair distance it's still possible sometimes to determine if they're birds of prey from the wing shape.

Nice to hear from you again, Nilay, and from Rosa too -- Portugal online, yay!!!

I'll try taking pictures the next time it happens. Last time I saw them was over a month ago though, so it might be hard to "catch" them again. I don't know whether they appear that rarely or if I've been missing them. But they're definitely birds of prey...They were circling and circling overhead and the pigeons were quite scared, tilting their heads 90º so one eye could look at the sky, and then they flew off to hide somewhere.

Hmm, I just found something interesting and a bit disturbing...As I live in Benfica close to Monsanto, a natural park, I thought I'd google "Monsanto" and "Falcons", and that came up. So apparently Falcons like to hunt in Benfica! Just my luck >.<

http://naturlink.sapo.pt/article.aspx?menuid=2&cid=4506&bl=1&viewall=true

That's worrying... but at least, if they're natives there, it's not as bad as if the council had got them in to get rid of city birds.
I hope your local pigeons stay safe!

My trick after I rescued a male Pigeon from the outside was to actually, Breed him with another bird i found outside. There for once the babie was born, He was raised and born in captivity right indoors. So its really impossible for any outside germs to make contact with my baby pigeon. Treating the parents with lice powder, medication for the baby on cankers because its transmitable, and continueing to shower the pigeons every month, before i released the parents, I now own the baby he loves his home, loves to fly on me and around all the cats, He teases the cats too,

You see the feathers are a good defence against the claws going after the pigeon. But you, me and the pigeon can be confused weither or not this can actually cause damage, But as fast as you think it may not or can cause the pigeon to be hurt. It really can all happen in matter of seconds. Cats can become quick as a snake if they really wanted too. And Cats are very strange if so they do attack the pigeon and kill it. Its your responsiblity to actually give the cat a reward for the cats well doing. For its in mother nature to bound weither or not the bird is to be hunted or not. Its your responsibility to change the ways of your cats. Its very difficult. for I even still havn't been able to tame my cats around the pigeons. I get closer and closer every day. Withen time cats love time. If u can hold the pigeon indoor safely without any attacks anything like that. THe cats will learn to love the birds withen time. Maybe years maybe just a phew monthes. Its a time game.

my first cat lucifer was born underneath birds. Cockitels, And he has grabbed a bird right out of my hand, and had the entire bird in his mouth!!!. I said LUCIFER WHAT THE HeCk!. he opened his mouth right away. idk how he listened to me that day. but ever since i havn't been able to let him around pigeons comfortably. ANd he does hunt the pigeons, i wonder if its just a game or if he really does want to kill the Pigeons. Better be safe then sorry because like i said. Its your responsibility weither or not the cat attacks the pigeons or not. And its not in your nature to judge weither or not that is wrong. There for the cats if so did attack and kill the pigeons. Say you punish your cats that is wrong wrong WRONG. U must convince your cats to avoid there natural instincts.

Ive seen bird friendly cats before. None of my cats are 100% bird friendly. I believe time will tell tho and soon enough they will all be bird friendly. Just cant give up. i repeat again its not your nature to judge wither its a good thing or not that a cat attacks a bird. Because cats should be rewarded for such things. I for one do not punish my cats for trying to attack my birds. I don't give rewards either. I simply talk about how much i love the birds everyday to tha cats. Cats understand our feelings more then anything. Ever have a bad day, the cat seems to be only one that makes u feel better? Because they know how to change your feelings

Nilay wrote:

Hi Rosa, it's nice to meet you too!

We're good thanks :). Unfortunately it looks like every pigeon in the neighbourhood knows there's food here now, so whenever I try to feed "my" pigeons, all the rest flock and start fighting eachother and making a big mess of things! And as I said, I live in an apartment so there isn't exactly much space between my window and the outside...Most of the food ends up on the street .

Out of curiosity, since you live in Lisbon too, have you noticed what appears to be falcons flying up in the sky sometimes? Just a few minutes ago while I was trying to feed Titan, he and all the other pigeons stopped and started looking at the sky intently, not caring about the food (which was very strange ). So I looked up and saw what looked like three falcons. A few seconds later all pigeons started flying off for cover (I assume). This is the second time I've noticed those falcons (if they are falcons). Have you noticed anything like that in your area?

heheh Thank you, Nilay! My pleasure!

Yeah, I know what you mean! Here's the same, but it's normal because the most of those poor animals never knew what it was real food until you introduced, them so they tend to get nervous and run everytime they know they have a chance to eat well.. heheh

About the falcons, I never noticed that before, but to tell you the truth, other day, I passed in Benfica during my way home after coming from the veterinary and something did caught my eye on the sky: I saw the body of what seemed to me like a small falcon, because of the feathers and the way he was standing, because he was standing still on the air like falcons do, with the wings wide open and standing still at the same place.. And then he quickly started coming down very quick, and then he took flight again.. I remembered this topic that moment!! I'm not sure if it was a falcon or not, but I beleive it could be, as you said they are known to hunt there in Benfica.. Maybe because of Monsanto park, what do you think?

Nilay wrote:

Just a few minutes ago while I was trying to feed Titan, he and all the other pigeons stopped and started looking at the sky intently, not caring about the food (which was very strange ). So I looked up and saw what looked like three falcons.

I notice this a lot but with seagulls! They are terrified about them, and I know that they eat them too, that's why... I presume that Balsa, my 1st rescued pigeon, besides of extreme string injuries, must've been as well attacked by one, as most of the feathers in his back were ripped off.. and he had no marks of nails, etc. But this is just a clue.. The fact is that seagulls do eat pigeons, I've already seen it. But, that's nature... Awful strings are not.. :(

Rosa wrote:

I notice this a lot but with seagulls! They are terrified about them, and I know that they eat them too, that's why... I presume that Balsa, my 1st rescued pigeon, besides of extreme string injuries, must've been as well attacked by one, as most of the feathers in his back were ripped off.. and he had no marks of nails, etc. But this is just a clue.. The fact is that seagulls do eat pigeons, I've already seen it. But, that's nature... Awful strings are not.. :(

And today there is one less pigeon with strings on his feet in Figueira!