Neighbor's cat getting into chickens! Help!!

True Mr. Nagolbud...Cats and other stalking creatures are opportunists. I can't watch over the Gals during the day but when most predators prowl at night, my hens are safe in my coop.

The two tings I did when building my coop were to use cage wire with small holes. Knowing some predators can dig under the framework I made a floor of wire completely affixed to the lower frame; end to end, side to side. The coop lays over the frame and it is safe from outside predators entering from underground or above ground. I also put 5-6 inches of sand/topsoil mix as a floor over the screening.

My son did one better and he has an electric fence barrier surrounding the posterior from the ground up. He has snakes, moles to raccoons, and the electric fencing did the trick. His unit is powered by a battery (solar power) and it is always active. His birds are not hurt by the fencing material.

I know this is an old thread but I have the same problem.
My neighbors LOVE feral evil cats... I don't. Don't get me wrong (I know there's devout cat people everywhere) I do not hate all cats. I like tame cats cats that are nice and sweet and play with toys and so on... great pets! I don't believe in killing but these cats I could really do without! These are really FERAL mean cats! They were originally far away but my neighbor saw one and fed it then started feeding all of them making spots for them ect. Her and our other neighbor love cats and are right next to us. They have been trapped neutered/spayed and released.... back into her **** yard >:C They even fight with all the other neighbor's tame friendly cats even a few blocks over cats are being beaten up. Most of them would never dare to step foot in my yard because our dogs are obsessed and chased them out numerous times. But 2 of them are jerks they figured out dogs aren't as fast they can escape and our door squeaks. So now there's 2 sneaking around my coop poking and prying trying to get in to my coop of rare chicks I've been spending hours with and they are my babies! I've tried laying tape sticky side up on the walls where they come over and that didn't last long. I can't put anything down like wire because my dogs will hurt themselves and they know what traps are so no luck trapping them again. I thought it was just curiosity and I didn't really pay much heed to it but I just went out and one ran off and I found a bunch of feathers in my coop luckily all birds made it, shaken but alive but THAT cat HAS TO GO! The city won't do anything since they've already been dealt with and their cat programs are full with no future opening for that many cats. the neighbors aren't budging on moving them or stopping the feeding of cats. (Both crazy cat ladies) and one just doesn't like me in a passive aggressive way and I'm fairly sure she understands I don't like them and she's happy about it -.- she has her cat house facing our wall on purpose ! XC
I don't want to hurt their feelings but I don't want to loose my babies. I can't shoot them A- no gun B- all neighbors are cat lovers and would hate me forever C- I don't want to go to jail. But I need them gone.
As long as it's only the 2 trying to kill my birds I'd like to see them go anywhere else and the neighbors can keep the rest of their cat hoard and probably wouldn't miss those two. I don't want to resort to poison but at this point I'm so mad I'm starting to consider it >:[

Bb gun. When cat is on YOUR property stalking YOUR chickens it is the law that you can protect your flock. Other than that, keep your dogs out of the area for a few weeks while you do this: string 2 or 3 lines of electric wire a couple of inches apart beginning along the top of your fence. Cat can't get on top of fence to get over or if it tries to jump it the wire every few inches will shock it before it can get over. They'll learn pretty fast. And since it is your property nothing can be said. (Because you needed to make sure as a responsible pet owner that your dogs stay home )

Use a slingshot!

Could you cover the run so they can't climb inside?

We have alot of strays around here but nothing yet our dog is close to the coop so that may be helping

drumstick diva said:

Could you cover the run so they can't climb inside? 

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This is essentially what I did two weeks ago after some cats killed 15-20 of my Coturnix quail on my grandfather's property. Dispatching was not a viable option, so I preferred to just take the time and make necessary changes to the pens themselves. Sometimes making the change can save you from later encounters with more destructive predators, like coon or weasel. I would recommend "sealing" any gaps or areas of potential entry for sure. I like the idea of using electric fencing/netting, but I have never personally tried it. Best of luck...



Edited by Staff

I have the same problem.. It's nice too read they won't bother full grown chickens.. But our neighbors cats (whom we already don't get Long with because they won't keep to their own yard and business...) they have killed several pheasants, massacred a whole flock of of my frizzles, and each time we keep figuring out how they got in and securing the area more. We just put chain link fencing over the top of our meat chickens.. However last night, the pen I thought was cat safe... I just found a dead duck and an eaten bird. Here are trails in the grass from where the cats leave their yard in come into ours.. We are currently just trying to move where we don't have neighbors.. Or their cats..... We know it's a cat because it's left some fur trying to escape and cat prints all around the pen...

I would say get a few Roosters to help deter Cats/dogs but if animals pack together even 3 Roosters won't help. Our dogs and cats are afraid of the Roosters.