Keeping
Wild Animals Safe
Keeping your wild neighbors safe is not always easy, but it
can be done. Along with keeping wild animals wild and
discouraging unwelcome guests, following are a few ideas on how to keep
wild animals safe:
-
Keep cats indoor: for the health of wild animals and
your cat!
-
Keep bird feeders clean
- Make
windows safe
-
Prune trees and shrubs between October and December
-
Take fishing lines and hooks with you
-
Do not use poisons, sticky traps, or pesticides
-
Bring injured, orphaned, or sick wildlife to a
wildlife rehabilitator immediately
Keep cats indoors: for the health of wild animals and your cat!
Cats can make wonderful loving companion animals. However, cats
that go outdoors also kill thousands of wild animals, especially birds, a
year. These cats are fed by loving people but they hunt and play with wild
animals. Cats teeth and claws contain bacteria that is lethal to birds, so
even if the animal survives being “played” with, even those that seem
unharmed, will often die in 2-3 days. Young animals are particularly
susceptible, as young birds cannot fly and young animals do not realize that
cats are predators (as they are not natural predators), even if they have
bells on.
Additionally,
cats that roam outside have an average life span of approximately 3 years,
compared to 15-18 years for the average indoor only cat. This is because
they have an increased chance of becoming sick (including FIV, rabies),
injured (by other cats, dogs, predators, cars, or even people), poisoned, or
even killed. So, keep your cat inside for its health and safety and for the
healthy and safety of wildlife!
Additional links/information:
Happy & Healthy Indoor Cat,
The Indoor
Initiative,
An Uncommon Alliance: Keeping Cats and Wildlife Safe
Goes Hand in
Hand,
Keep Your Cat Safe at Home: HSUS's Safe Cats Campaign
While
feeding animals can do more harm than good, bird feeders are not generally
considered wrong. However, in order to keep the feeder free of disease (that
birds can get) and grime,
birdfeeders
and water baths should be scrubbed clean at least once a week and
between refills. Then, disinfected with a ten-percent solution of bleach
water. Allow it to air dry before refilling it. Additionally, because
wood
objects cannot be disinfected properly, use metal or plastic instead.
Finally, make sure you keep seed secure, in an air tight container, as
insects and rodents can feed on and contaminate the food.
Make windows safe
There
are a number of ways that might help prevent birds from striking your
windows. First, you can make the window appear as a wall/solid object by
closing any drapes or blinds on the inside (especially when the reflection
is the worst) or applying stickers (including hawk silhouettes) or strips of
paper to the windows. Some glass manufacturers are starting to design etched
glasses that may help prevent this as well. Second, you can prevent birds
from hitting the window, by hanging screen from eaves about a foot away from
the window. It can either be a solid screen or with twirling flags in
between. The birds fly towards the glass and bounce off the screen without
hitting the window. However, make sure the bird and other animals cannot get
caught in netting.
If despite your best efforts, a bird still hits the window, you can put the bird in a box with air holes and paper towels in the bottom in a warm, dark, quiet location away from pets and noise. Often you can later release the bird. However, if the animal is not acting correctly, you are not sure if the bird is ok, or you are worried the bird is in danger (from a cat, dog, cars, etc), please bring it to WCA.
Prune trees and shrubs between October and December
In
temperate areas of the United States, including the central valley, animals
begin nesting in January and end in late August. So, the safest time to
trim trees and shrubs is between October and December. When you prune trees
and shrubs (even between October and December), carefully check for nests
and be sure any animals (especially babies) are gone before you prune.
Take fishing lines and
hooks with you
Birds, mammals and turtles can be seriously injured and die from getting
tangled in fishing line, swallowing fish hooks, or ensnared by fish hooks.
Please take fishing lines and hooks with you when you leave and if you see
fishing line on shores or in the water, please pick it up and discard it in
the trash.
Do not use
poisons, sticky traps, or pesticides
Poisons are not only a very cruel way to kill animals (as death can be slow and painful) but they can also kill other predators (including hawks, cats, and dogs) that eat the poisoned animals or that accidently eat the poisons (click here for a story on how 3 dogs were accidently killed when they ate strychnine laced gopher poison).
Sticky traps often “catch” other, unintended animals, such as reptiles and small birds and mammals. When animals struggle, they can break bones, destroy their feathers, skin, and scales, and die a slow death.
Finally, avoid pesticides. What is poisonous to animals considered "pests" is often also poisonous to animals considered other animals, including people and companion animals. Additionally, pesticides can seep into the ground water, end up in rivers and lakes, and can end up in the rain. If you must use a pesticide, always choose the least toxic one. But be careful when using any pesticide, since most pesticides, even the least toxic, kill beneficial insects and microbes (including those that allow plants to grow).
Bring injured, orphaned, or sick wildlife to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately
Click
here
for more information on what to do if you find an injured, orphaned, or sick
wild animal. If you are outside the Sacramento and Yolo area,
click here
for a list of California rehabilitators.