Babies' first dust bath + cats (pics)

[JennsPeeps]

"Wonder if that tastes like chicken?"

Rudy, my cat, watching the babies take their first dust bath.
Chicks, top to bottom are:
Dumpling, Barred rock
Nugget, RIR
Gwenevyre, Black Star

"What the heck are those things doing NOW?"

This is Mira. She doesn't like the chicks at all but is very curious about them.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Ummm, I hope those cats don't someday get motivated to experience for themselves how those chicks feel or taste. Perhaps you should continue to monitor their times together. I wouldn't trust any cat to be alone with chicks of any size.

They're safe there with you close enough to snap photos, and make for really cute pictures too. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JennsPeeps]

The cats are pretty old (10 & 11). We do watch them with an eagle eye but neither has made a move toward the chicks in the month we've had them. They're more curious than anything... curiousity that has been rewarded with pecked whiskers, paws, and tails! The kitties give the chicks a pretty wide berth. In fact, the cats keep our neighbors' cats out of our yard!

 

[Suess hens]

Your cats are like one of our dogs. While the dogs aren't in the yard with the chickens, they watch through the fence. Last night when all were in their coop I let the Aussie in to see...she wouldn't go past the gate, she just looked from there and took off. I think she may have had her nose pecked through the slats in the fence, she didn't want to get any closer.
Great pics....I love the way the chose their dust bath spots.

 

[xanaxnation]

lol how cute! my cats still try to swat my girls through the coop fencing... but theyre still pretty young and havent been pecked.. yet.

 

[LynneP]

Sharp inhalation.

All of our cats are 100% separated from our birds 100% of the time. Oh my...

 

[kinnip]

My cats are terrified of the chickens. They'll watch for a few minutes, but as soon as one flaps it wings, effectively tripling in size, the cats take off running.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Depending upon your opinions of whether cats & chicks can get along, you'll either like or hate this pic of Rudy watching the chicks when they were around 2 weeks old. He sat like this for roughly 20 mins and the babies went right up to him, checked him out & decided he was boring, then went back to pecking at specks on the kitchen floor.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

my barn owner has a large flock of chickens and two barn cats. She hasnt lost a chicken to one of the cats in 3 years. Has lost them to a neighbors loose dog though

 

[tunaoftheland]

It would make me nervous, but they are very cute pictures. Especially the one of Rudy licking his nose while watching them!

One of my cats is afraid of the chickens (he got bit by a hamster and chased by my rabbit as a kitten and is a fraidy cat for life) but the other one just sits and watches at a respectful distance like yours. I don't think she'd do anything, but I keep the fence between them just in case.