Animals at the Nursery

Wildlife at our nursery is always a great delight. There are currently two resident Baltimore Oriole pairs that enjoy taking baths in the puddles after the plants are watered. The Blue Jays, Robins, and Common Yellowthroat warblers have been very active eating bugs after the recent rains.

There is however an ongoing threat to many bird species’ populations. So, what is the threat? Cats, with their continued population growth. Whether it be a stray or an indoor outdoor cat, they prey on many birds. Over the past year, the nursery has become a regular hangout location for two stray cats.

This past week Joshua, one of Land Health’s Co-op interns, discovered a kitten near the nursery entrance. The kitten, which was around two weeks old, was all alone and crying. Joshua identified the kitten’s mother who walked near the kitten only to turn around and walk away. The kitten was abandoned. Joshua quickly found a small dish and gave the kitten water, which she eagerly drank. Scott Quitel, Land Health’s founder, arrived shortly after the kitten was discovered and he took the kitten home.

This is the time of year when cats have their litters. Shelters become overloaded due to this large influx of cats. There has been and still is an increase in demand for getting a pet cat as a result of the pandemic leading to a lot of time being spent at home. Adopting a kitten or a cat from a shelter is not only giving a likely street cat a good home, it also helps get more cats off of the streets. When getting a cat it is imperative that they get spayed or neutered as soon as possible to help prevent any further increase in population. The more cats taken off the streets, the better chance of local bird populations recovering and making a comeback.