Neighbors Cats Scoping out my Chickens

[Dirge337]

Is there anything i can do to keep their cats away from my chickens? There's three of them (the cats). They sit on the wall AND on top of the chicken coop. I have yet to see them attack any chickens but they scope them out on a regular basis. I have 7 Americaunas and 2 silkies. The Americaunas seem to be too big for the cats to want to try out but I had two babies hatch about 5 weeks ago with one of my momma silkies and im afraid to let them roam free. They cooped up in a smaller space inside the coop and i feel bad not letting them roam around in the run. Is there anything i can do legally to keep the cats away from them? I work at a wildlife rescue, and was recommended i try bobcat poop dried up, smashed, and sprinkled around the enclosure. It works for a short while but its not really a long term solution. My dogs scare off the cats but they arent outside all day.

 

[BBQJOE]

Spray them down with a garden hose. Cats hate getting wet.

 

[Dirge337]

Ive actually tried that and they come back

 

[BBQJOE]

Ive actually tried that and they come back

Do you know who owns them?
Live trap them and take them to the owners, tell them next time they'll be in a box.

 

[Blooie]

Here any unwanted animal on my property is considered a predator and will be dealt with accordingly. The owners can explain to little Suzie or Johnny why Fluffy didn't come home this morning. It ain't my problem, even if their Fluffy is a beloved family pet. Folks who just let cats and dogs run are forcing their animals down my throat and I don't appreciate it one bit. It's "so cruel" to keep cats indoors, and "my Fluffy doesn't do any thing bad out there." Do they have a Go-Cam on their cat's collar? Are they watching them drink water laced with spilled anti-freeze from someone working on their car earlier? Are they watching Fluffy trying to get warm wherever there is a car engine or patio furniture, under houses, tucked up deep in bushes just to try to escape the cold? Do they see Fluffy getting in trash because they are cold and hungry? Are they witness to the vicious cat fights that result in injury to one or both animal? Have they seen Fluffy dodging traffic and not always winning? Do they see Fluffy's exposure to other predators and exposure to diseases like Feline Leukemia? "I love my cat, so I let her stay outside" is not an answer. In my years of working for veterinarians I can tell you first hand that the number of injuries and deaths we saw in indoor cats was significantly less than in those who were literally "loved to death."

I house my chickens in a way to keep them as safe as possible. They have a good run, a nice coop, and a fenced yard for foraging and stretching their wings. I have every right to expect them to be safe from neighborhood predators. If they are threatened in any way by someone's beloved little Fluffy then Fluffy ain't going home the next day. I don't let my chickens run loose on their property and I'm not tolerating theirs running loose on mine.

 

[BBQJOE]

I'm totally with Blooie.

If you can't keep them away, 86 them.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I agree Blooie about irresponsible owners . sometimes strays no one will claim. with that being said though. its a chicken coop. they are /maybe looking for mice . I put cats in my coop and run. with grown chickens not babies . I never tried that but they clear the coop, I let them back out. My rooster and a few of my hens keep the cat in line.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Is there anything i can do to keep their cats away from my chickens? There's three of them (the cats). They sit on the wall AND on top of the chicken coop. I have yet to see them attack any chickens but they scope them out on a regular basis. I have 7 Americaunas and 2 silkies. The Americaunas seem to be too big for the cats to want to try out but I had two babies hatch about 5 weeks ago with one of my momma silkies and im afraid to let them roam free. They cooped up in a smaller space inside the coop and i feel bad not letting them roam around in the run. Is there anything i can do legally to keep the cats away from them? I work at a wildlife rescue, and was recommended i try bobcat poop dried up, smashed, and sprinkled around the enclosure. It works for a short while but its not really a long term solution. My dogs scare off the cats but they arent outside all day.

Put out traps and take them to an animal shelter. The cats and chickens will both be better off.

 

[Mr Beaks]

Sadly, I'm having the same problem here. We moved to a new neighborhood with less acreage between properties. My chickens have always free ranged and I had planned on doing just that once acclimated. Well, The neighbors dog kept frequenting the run and spooked one of the pullets. It chased her down under the porch, cornered her and killed her. Almost killed our chihuahua, too. They've since kept their dog on their land but now the cats are coming to the run and hopping the fence like it's nothing! I've mentioned this to the neighbors but nothing has changed so when I hear my flock squawking I run out with my pellet gun and shoot. It hurts me to have to do that as I love all God's critters but it's my duty to protect my own.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I wont trust those cats. We have to kill several cats simply because they end up killing or attacking one of our hens. They youngst chickens i have are 3 months old a month back they took a full grown black sex link. We have nothing but ferals and there no other way to get rid of them were we live no animal control and no shelter will take them. Now that being said i have two cats of my own that do guard the chickens from the strays as best they can and when they are with the hens we dont lose any but the moment they leave the yard a feral has gotten a meal. So that being said some cats are great with chickens and others see them as a food source. Now the feral/stray cats happen to be fed by our neighbors who are my husband's Grandparents so they have another food source and some stay away but the ones who learn to hunt our chickens are dealt with in the only way we have.