Cat presents family with intact birds nest and three live chicks

The owners of a pet cat were stunned when it brought in an entire bird's nest and three live chicks. Bella, a five-year-old tortoiseshell, deposited the nest in Vikki and Wesley Spencer's house just before midnight. Bizarrely, it was completely intact with one baby goldcrest sitting inside it. The cat then went out and returned with two other live chicks.



Wildlife experts say they've never come across anything quite like it before. Goldcrests are Britain's smallest songbirds and although widespread are not commonly seen. Vikki, of Taunton, Somerset, said: "The nest just looked like a bit of tumbleweed lying on the floor – we didn't know what it was.

"While we were all looking at it Bella had gone out again and she came back with the two other birds in her mouth and just dropped them on the floor. She looked at Wesley as if to say: 'That's my nest, what are you doing with it?' I couldn't believe it." Vikki placed the nestlings in an airing cupboard overnight to keep the birds warm and took them to RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre near Taunton the next morning.



Peter Venn, manager at RSPCA West Hatch, said: "Two of the birds sadly died but one of them is doing very well. I've not heard of a cat doing anything like this before but that's not to say it hasn't happened." The remaining goldcrest will be cared for at RSPCA West Hatch until it is old enough to be released into the wild.