Big cat of unknown breed just killed one of my chickens

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michiganer

michiganer

In the Brooder
11 Years
Dec 17, 2008
27
0
22
Saint Cloud FL
I am so annoyed and angry right now! I live in Central FL and I just lost a chicken to a pretty good sized cat. At first I thought bobcat because I have lost a chicken to one of those about a year ago. It probably weighed a good 35lbs and I could tell it was a bobcat by the pointed ears and the bobbed tail. This cat was bigger than a housecat but smaller than the bobcat. It had a long striped tail and was a medium sandy brown color. I did an internet search and the closest thing i came up with is an African Wild Cat (as far as looks) This is a link to what they look like.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=afri...&tbnw=124&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0

I don't believe it could actually be an African Wild Cat but is it possible there is some strange feral breed running around? I have a live raccoon trap but I think it was just a little too big for it. I live right next to a swampy marshy wooded area and that is where it came from. I actually was so mad that I yelled at it and chased it. It jumped through some high weeds with my poor baby in its mouth. I lost sight but checked the area and I found my poor hen laying dead in some bushes. She had two gashes from the teeth on her neck as well as under her wing. If only I could have had a gun or something to scare it away faster, it might have dropped her after the first bite. I have had my chickens for about 2 years. At my peak, I had 32 and now I am down to 12
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Many get picked off during broad daylight while they are free ranging. I have had every predator you can think of..... Hawk, possum, raccoon, rat snake, bobcat and now some unknown creature. What can I do? i am so sad and really at my wits end!
 
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I'm sure we do have Lynx down here (actually our metro Orlando bus system is called Lynx) but I just checked google and it was definitely not that. It wasn't quite so bobcat looking. Its hard to exactly remember (I only saw it for 10 seconds max) but the closest thing from memory is that link I posted....Its a real mystery and it is easy to say I am completely disheartened. I was planning on getting baby chicks this fall but I cannot keep feeding the wildlife...
 
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Sounds like a Savannah Cat, which would be someones pet. They are a cross between an African Serval Cat x domestic cat, usually a Bengal. The offspring are not as spotted as a Serval Cat or hardly spotted at all. I would ask around your neighborhood if anyone's pet Savannah Cat has escaped.
 
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I just checked and it is closer to what I saw. The tail looks the same but I don't remember distinct spots. It was at a distance though so its possible. I have never seen this cat around the neighborhood and I would remember it because of its size. It probably weighed about 20-25lbs. It was leaner than a bobcat but a little bigger than a house cat.
 
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I just checked and it is closer to what I saw. The tail looks the same but I don't remember distinct spots. It was at a distance though so its possible. I have never seen this cat around the neighborhood and I would remember it because of its size. It probably weighed about 20-25lbs. It was leaner than a bobcat but a little bigger than a house cat.

There are a lot of poor quality Savannah cats being bred that hardly have spots. They have grey tabby like markings. The giveaway is their LONG legs! You don't see that in any other breed. Sorry about your loss! I have lost the most chickens to Bobcats here in California. Only way I was able to keep them out was to increase the height of my fence and run hotwire at the top. So far it is working.
Good luck keeping your chickens safe!
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Here is my pen BEFORE I added another couple of feet to the height!

54909_p1000556.jpg
 
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I bet you are right. It was a very lean and long legged cat which is what threw me for a loop. I have a totally enclosed outside pen (about twicw the size of yours) that even has chicken wire over the top so nothing can get in. But my girls really love to free range so a couple of times a week I will let them go out of the enclosure. They stick close to the house which is another disturbing thing. These cats aren't afraid to come practically on my porch to pick off a chicken. I really hate them with a passion! Thanks for all your help!
 
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I bet you are right. It was a very lean and long legged cat which is what threw me for a loop. I have a totally enclosed outside pen (about twicw the size of yours) that even has chicken wire over the top so nothing can get in. But my girls really love to free range so a couple of times a week I will let them go out of the enclosure. They stick close to the house which is another disturbing thing. These cats aren't afraid to come practically on my porch to pick off a chicken. I really hate them with a passion! Thanks for all your help!

Unfortunately I can't let my chickens free range anymore unless I am sitting with them since a Bobcat snatched one just yards from where my husband was working during the day!
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I love the wildlife and especially the Bobcats and Mountain Lions, so I protect my chickens the best I can and tell those darn cats to go eat the wild Turkeys!
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