Saved from the Cats' Claws

Chick's latest trophy: a baby duck that turns out to be alive after I've taken it out of Chick's jaws. Help!

We cannot find mother duck, and anyway, a hastily searched and found website about lost & found baby ducks warns us not to put the baby duck back. The mother is now likely to kill it. The website adds that if the baby duck doesn't die soon, its chances of survival are pretty good - IF you keep it warm and give it a shallow container with regularly refreshed water. And for heaven's sake, don't feed it bread! Hard boiled egg mixed with some toast is good. And specialty foods for baby chickens. That's not in the house though, and stores are closed by now. but an egg is no problem, and a neighbor provides some toast.

We call the baby duck Tjebbe, and put him in a cat bench, on a towel, under an infrared lamp. He is quiet, and warm, and he seems asleep now, though he opens his eyes when you come close. Chick and Chucky are oblivious of this potential prey in the house. I guess that will change if Tjebbe survives and starts making sounds. But first things first. Let's see if Tjebbe makes it through the night.