Baby Kittie stalking my chickies!

[Kellita]

I have three cats, but one is an immature, about nine months, and he's been stalking the chickens. I have two four month olds...one a Plimoth and one is a RIR, the other is about three months old and she's a frizzle Wyandotte. So far he chases them around the yard and hasn't caught them. I try to keep him in the house when the chickens are free ranging, but some times he maneuvers himself out with foot traffic. The other two grown cats ignore the chickens pointedly. What to do? My dad informed me that a chicken can take care of a cat. Will he grow out of this? Are the chickens able to defend themselves?

 

[mnferalkitty]

The cat will stop when the chickens get tired of it and pick up the cat by its tail and fling it across the yard

 

[Judy]

My grown cat still stalks the chickens occasionally -- through the fence. When my chickens free ranged, the cat would pretend to stalk them, but never actually attack. She would play a game of jumping out at them and startling them. I figured the cat got pecked at some point and learned not to carry the game too far.

Cats do kill chickens occasionally, though -- particularly feral cats and young chicks, although the cat wouldn't have to be hungry, I don't think.

 

[chickenbythesea]

my friends kittens would stalk the chickens but lost interest pretty fast when the hens would peck the snot out of them... it was quite funny to watch actually. Her hens aren't afraid of anything.

 

[JimnTer]

I have a feral cat that hangs around here. So far it hasn't bothered my chickens (or ducks or rabbits) and I frequently see it carrying dead rodents, so I leave it be. My dad had a feral cat start hanging around his place 2 years ago and it wiped out his entire flock (over 25 birds). Bottom line is, if it were me, I wouldn't take any chances. Next time you catch him doing it, give him a good soaking with the garden hose.