Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Carolina Wren

Help wildlife by keeping your cat indoors.

This Carolina Wren has been in care at the Center since early January after suffering a right radius (bone in the “forearm” of the wing) fracture as the result of a cat attack.

As with all confirmed cat interactions (finder saw the bird in the cat’s mouth), this patient immediately received antibiotics. Needle-like feline teeth pierce through the skin and when they pull out the skin tissue closes quickly, trapping bacteria from the cat’s saliva and increasing the chance of developing a fatal infection.

After more than three weeks in care, this patient is doing well on antibiotics but is still not fully healed or flying. With continued care, we are hopeful that they will be fully flighted and ready for release in the next week.

What kind of impact do domestic cats have on wildlife?

You may be surprised to learn that over a billion birds are killed by cats EACH YEAR in the United States (some studies estimate that that number is closer to 4 billion).

And between 6-22 billion mammals and hundreds of millions of reptiles are also killed annually by cats in the U.S.

In Virginia, it’s estimated there are 2.1 million free-roaming cats, and over 40% of them have an owner.

What is the solution?

There is no single solution to the free-roaming cat issue, though nearly everyone agrees that the population of free-roaming cats must decrease.

Along with other experts in wildlife conservation, veterinary medicine, public health and safety, we are honored to have been selected as part of a Virginia General Assembly workgroup to study problems associated with free-roaming cats.

The workgroup, appointed in 2021, has just released a comprehensive report detailing the impact of cats on wildlife and public health, as well as recommendations for reducing free-roaming cat populations in our state. (Read the full report here)

Help us help wildlife by committing to keeping your pet cats indoors and encourage other cat owners to do the same!

Looking for an easy way to help native wildlife? Become a monthly BRWC donor! For as little as $5/month, you can provide year-round, sustainable support that helps us fulfill our mission.