Can A Kitten Grow Up & Not Hunt Chickens?

[HoustonChicks]

This is my very first time here, so pardon my mistakes if I don't find my way correctly. I have Siklies and Americaunas (all bantams) & 4 crazy guineas, less than 4 months old. We lost 60% of our 50 chicks to a family dog who had never seen chickens before. After 2 weeks of staying away from them, she killed them while we were shopping. So we don't want to lose any more chicks. We have all kinds of pets, so I am very torn over what to do about a tiny kitten that has shown up in the yard. It will not come to people, so I figure it's from a litter that had no owner. This tiny kitten has taken up with our chickens & has started following them around the yard! Tonight, it was close to going in to the roost house for bedtime. I do not feed this kitten at all, but it has not moved on in search of food somewhere else. We put it over a neighbor's fence & it came right back. It would take patience to catch it again. It looks like the poor creature goes to the chickens for company. Today, it was last in line when "the herd" strolled by. I have too many pets to bring it into the house. My question is: if I have it spayed or neutered, is there a good chance it will NOT hunt my chickens when it grows up, since it has attached itself to the chickens as this tiny kitten? I can't have it grow up and decide to kill when a hunting instinct kicks in. I don't mind feeding it if it'll stay friends with the fowls. I don't know why the 4 guineas don't object to it, but they don't. I don't want to take this poor thing off to get it away, but it'll grow quickly. It can't hurt a chick now, but that can change soon as it grows. I'm so angry at people who don't take responsibility for their animals! This little kitten is alone, afraid of people, and it's because some person didn't spay their cat. Thanks a lot for your feedback.

 

[carey34]

I have a male cat that has grown up with chickens in the yard since day one and he has never attempted to hun any of them. I do however feed the cat. I figure if he isn't hungry he will have less desire. He does a really good job keeping chipmunks out of the chicken coop. He really pays no attention to the chickens, ducks or geese for that matter. Good Luck!!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

ill say my two cats and my english bull teriier all love the chickens. it must be a personality thing, and not something you can train into them

 

[snowydiamonds]

Please feed that poor kitten, I have nine cats (since my eldest daughter took her mama cat home its no longer ten) and not a one of them bothers my CornishX chicks, my egg layer chicks, my ducklings, my ducks, my geese, my goslings. I swear, not a one. That said, there are cats who do kill other animals and mine do keep the mice, rats and lemming population to near zilch and I do not have a problem with rodents getting into my feed nor into my coops nor pens. This kitten is in need and will most likely help you and your flock in the future as my cats do by keeping the rodent population in check. I'd get it neutered or spayed prior to it coming of age so it would be helpful to start feeding and handling it, too. (Mine are all "fixed") I'd love to see a pic of the kitten w/the flock and how the story unfolds... I feed my cats and deworm them, they come in and out of the house as they please/request, weather permitting.

Big Bobbin, my Bobtail cat, the biggest says: "Like (humans) eating oatmeal in the morning, feeding that kitty (catfood) is the right thing to do!"

 

[aubreynoramarie]

well a cat is too small to take on a full grown hen

 

[nzpouter]

they all can be trained, best when they are pups/ kittens, best teacher is a broody hen with young chicks.... and a cat CAN take a full grown hen no problem.

 

[LadyinRed]

I have five barn cats and they all free range with the chickens and even two day old chicks and none have gone after them and these cats were not even raised around chickens. Let alone the smaller bantams I have. Give the kitty a chance. Sounds like he might be your own flock protector.

 

[hd_darcy]

I have two cats, and I am currently letting seven of our chickens free range. Three of which are silkies, three are cochin bantams, and then one LF. Our cats don't bother the chickens at all! WHAT A RELIEF! I was sooooooooo happy to come to this conclusion.

Both of our cats are indoor/outdoor and are quite the hunters, I really never dreamed I would be able to let our chickens free range

Anyway, I wouldn't trust them with baby chicks though, I think that would just be too tempting....

 

[[email protected]]

since i have gotten chhickens i have been seeing mice hiding under the feeder waterer etc in the chicken coop and i have since then raised four cats that go in and out of the chicken pen without even looking at chicks or the chickens.

 

[Sissy]

feed the cat.and have him/her fixed.

a cat thats fed will be happy to be around the chix
as it will know thats where his next meal is coming from
hanging with the crowd.
I found mine on the porch 3 of them plus 1 pup yes they are all
happy campers with the silkies, ameraucanas ,cochins, orps.