Fledgling seagull in my back yard

[RubyFowler]

There's a fledgling seagull in my back yard, feathered not fluffy and the parents are keeping an eye on it.
I've googled and advice is to leave it alone. Only trouble is my cat can't go out for obvious reasons.
Anyone know how long it will take for it to fly away??

How sweet! What type of gull?

Oh gosh. I would love this to happen to me, but, unfortunately, my cat may love it a little bit too much.

Ermmm..... just an every day seagull??
Not too sure!

Put your cat out, it’ll soon learn to fly!! We’ve had one in our front garden for two days now and we’re sick of getting dive-bombed by the parent seagulls. Grrrr

Well my cat was out that's how I know about the baby! The parents were going nuts! I don't think they'd let my cat get anywhere near it!
I've brought him in and he'll have to stay in tonight.
But I'm not sure how long it'll stick around!

You can ring the rspb. We had the fluffy stage in our garden easyjet in the year. Word of warning, although we kept getting put through to the next stage of help (ended with someone collecting it), each person said the previous advice was wrong!

we have large trees just outside our garden and have had a fledgling magpie and a fledgling blackbird in the last 2 weeks. They both left the garden within 2-3 hours. The blackbird flew off after a couple of attempts when I went outside with the dog (who was held back/ignored it)

Its not abandoned, the parents are very much present!
According to what I've read if the parents are around we've just to leave them alone.
I think it must have been a failed flying lesson.
Its fully feathered, not fluffy at all.

Ooh its trying to fly!

Keep the cat in for its own safety, you do not want to mess with mum and dad seagulls! Can your cat go out the front door instead or the back or vice versa depending where the seagull is?

I could let him out the front, but he'd need to come back in the cat flap at the back.
He'll just have to stay in tonight.
I don't want him to mess with the chick, or to be attacked by the parents.

They like cat food... May give it some strength to fly!! As a street we have helped a few over the years. We are very close to the beach and sometimes get a straggler!!

A disgraceful suggestion @doodlejump1980

It takes time for them to strengthen their wings and practice. I had one last year and it fledged after 2 weeks.

Its had a few very good attempts. I don't think it'll be long.

How lovely! It doesn't sound like it will be long before little seagull will be on his or her way.

Definitely keep the cat in for it’s own safety. If you need to go out make sure you protect yourself with an open umbrella. Seagulls are very good parents!
Hopefully it will fly soon but I have known chicks fall out of a badly built nest very young and spend a few weeks on the ground

Peg a cardboard box on the washing line and pop it in - safe from cats.

Hopefully Mum and Dad around to carry on feeding it.

How lovely! I'm going to take a guess you dont live by the sea. Baby seagull season is a constant succession of baby seagulls screaming, pissed off seagull parents and A LOT of seagull shit.

Peg a cardboard box on the washing line and pop it in - safe from cats.

You seriously don't need to protect a feathered baby seagull from cats (tigers maybe, domestic cats no) they are viscious little sods if they have to be and the parents will think nothing of attacking and actually seriously hurting any cats that come close

@ConfusedDotty

Oh gosh. I would love this to happen to me, but, unfortunately, my cat may love it a little bit too much.

I have two. You are welcome to them. 4am those buggers start 😂 they are on the flat roof below my bedroom. We are trying to toilet train a puppy and dare not let it out for fear of it getting attacked.

You're correct - I live in the suburbs of a city. We have an abundance of feral pigeons, magpies and foxes in our gardens and some neighbours do nothing but complain. Miserable feckers I say. All creatures deserve a chance.

Its flown off. I missed the big event but my cat is now happily sitting on the yard wall, king of all be surveys again.

We have a lot of nests around here, but I've never actually experienced this before!

@RandomMess

Peg a cardboard box on the washing line and pop it in - safe from cats.

Hopefully Mum and Dad around to carry on feeding it.

I would have been attacked if I went anywhere near it!

@Hellocatshome

Peg a cardboard box on the washing line and pop it in - safe from cats.

You seriously don't need to protect a feathered baby seagull from cats (tigers maybe, domestic cats no) they are viscious little sods if they have to be and the parents will think nothing of attacking and actually seriously hurting any cats that come close

Indeed. As much as I didn't want my cat to hurt it, I think it was more likely the other way round.

Ah well all sorted.

My large male cat took on a seagull, he had a diamond shaped bald patch on his head afterwards!! Think he got off lightly.