Hello. My name was Mario.

I was caught by a cat. My throat and crop was Swiss cheesed by bite wounds. My body has cat claw punctures and scratches. Most of the feathers on my back and chest are missing. I have no butt feathers. Some wing feathers are missing too.

The lady who owns the cat looked for me for two days but I stayed hidden. I was frightened, cold, in pain and cannot fly. She finally found and captured me. Later in the day she brought me to get some medical assistance. I was given medication for pain and some antibiotics. I was then anesthetized for one and a half hours while my crop and neck were cleaned up and stitched up. There were six gashes in my crop and seeds were coming out from all the holes.

I was nearly decapitated by this cat! There was not enough skin to cover the crop. It was hoped that as the crop and neck healed, new skin cells will form and cover the area. It could be that my crop will be more exposed than other Mourning Doves. The big question, aside from Would I survive? was Would I grow feathers to cover the crop and neck?

After the surgery I woke up and had a long refreshing drink of water. It never tasted so good. My crop no longer leaked. I had dinner served too. Right after the surgery I am finally warm, comfortable with my bandages and have plenty of sweet seeds and water and am safe.

I found myself next door to another dove who was pecked and beaten by his own deranged parents. There was also a fellow, Barry, with an eye problem and a bright orange belly.

I will not show you my massive wounds. You may faint. It was hoped that as I got healthier and stronger, perhaps I would show you my progress. The following day I got my antibiotics and medicine for pain and decided to sit in my water dish. The bandage got soaked and needed to be changed. Now I had a new warm bandage and that greatest invention, warmth from a heating pad and thick towels beneath my birdy feet, continued to make me comfortable.

But I was very weak from the ordeal with the cat, my wounds, the infection, and just exhaustion. This was too much for my little birdy body to endure. I passed from this life to another where I am free of pain. Free of fear from cats and others who would try to harm me. Free to eat my sweet seeds. Free to have my feathers back too.

I have left the other life without raising chicks to carry on my line. There will be no grand-chicks joining me beneath the feeders. My hope is that the birds I have left behind will stay safer and cat free.
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~Mario