Are cats a major predator?

[Steve J]

A big cat would certainly be capable of dragging a chicken away. Ever try to hold a cat, to try to give it a pill? It's nearly impossible.

 

[jimbob86]

Quote: You feed your cats enough.


Any cat gets hungry enough, it will kill and eat a chicken.

 

[dickhuhn]

Strange, our chicks scare away cats, own and even others, half wild and hungry. there are only 1-2 of our cats they don't do anything about and strange enough those are the two that keep an eye (kill) martens getting to close to the chicks aviary?

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Anybody that says cats aren't a threat to chickens is completely ignorant.....

Cats eat birds, chickens are birds. Simple as that.

Granted your fluffy mostly indoor, never hungry pet cat poses LESS of a threat. I deal with it first hand almost on a weekly basis. Where I live people love to drop off unwanted cats, they figure it's the country so is ok.

I have a constant supply of wild cats that are always trying to get the birds. Even pet cats kill just for fun and some will kill chickens, just the way it is.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Cats are a major predator but in the chicken world they are far down the list. Extremely rare for one to take on grown birds.

#1 Man
#2 Dog
#3 Raccoon
#4 Weasel

The list goes on but then there is a point one has to revert back to #1 predator as cause of animals on list killing their birds.

 

[randr ranch]

I do not like cats, especially when they are other people's pets trying to eat my chickens or digging up my garden. People claim their cats are well behaved and let them go wherever they want. They don't think about the problems they could be causing for those around them.

Years ago, we lived in a house with a major cat problem. I could not let our kids outside to play by themselves because those cats were mean. During this our neighbor got chickens. They used to hop over the fence the eat our bugs To my surprise they would charge at those cats and scare them off. The cats were definitely trying to get at them, but they took care of themselves. Of course they regularly hopped a 6' fence and ran free throughout the neighborhood. They wouldn't have been able to get away if they were in a coop/run.

Fast forward to today and our spoiled chickens squat down anytime they feel threatened. I'm sure they would have ended up as a meal for the cats at our last home. We keep an animal trap for when we see a cat near our yard. Once caught we use a strong spray of the hose at the cat in the cage, really soak it. Once released, we spray at it till it's off the property. This has kept neighbor's cats from returning. Good thing because pet or no pet I'm not giving them a second chance.

 

[dickhuhn]

Indeed, chickens scaring off cats is what I see all the time.It might also depend on the chicks, not all (we have different) behave like this. Though not surprising those full of spirits and pretty curious do, whenever they see a cat, despite those generally protecting them?

I found a dead fox not so far from the chicken enclosure, which they don't use much if at all, they mostly have free access! Not sure who/what killed the mature fox, but then it might just be a natural death. There was no obvious sign of violence, if our dogs had done it one should see? Though one dog had a slight injury lately? But as they tend to fight and injure each other once in a while, we do not wonder that much about slight injuries.



One of them...

 

[jimbob86]

Quote:

With morning temps here in the single digits (on the positive side of zero if we are lucky!), I can see how that would have a lasting effect ...... though somewhere nearby, someone would have to dispose of one or more catcicles before the spring thaw ...... just remember to thoroughly drain the hose when you are done ........

 

[randr ranch]

We have yet to make even one catcicle. I should have noted that where I live the temperature rarely drops below freezing.

 

[jimbob86]

lol.