can you have a cat and have chickens 2??

[cat1994]

hi, i like cats and i need a mouser in my barn

, but i have chickens, so what do i do

, can i have chickens and a cat or will the cat kill the chickens or the chicks they raise.

what if i got that cat when it was a kitten and it grew up around the chicks and chickens do you still think it would kill them, i hear all these sad stories about a cat that killed some chicks and i just dont want that to happen to me

so id like to know is it ok to have a cat and have chickens?

 

[Kittymomma]

I have three indoor/outdoor cats as well as the occasional dumped stray and have never had a problem with them going after adult chickens. One of my cats did make a try for a chick, but the broody momma hen taught her better. My cats were here before the chickens so either way you go I don't think it's likely to be a problem. I have seen an occasional thread where folks have felt that a cat was getting their birds, but most (not all, but most) of the time a raccoon, possum, hawk or other wild predator still seemed to be the most likely problem.

 

[PhilErvin]

I have some ferril cats that hang out around my shed. I hope they are catching rodents so I don't bother them. They stay their distance from me and run when I come around. My girls are all full grown as is my roo and I have never seen the cats pay any attention to my girls. I wouldn't tempt a cat around my chicks unless they were hatched and raised by a hen, because she would attack a cat if need be. If I were you, I would get a cat. If your girls are full grown I wouldn't worry about the cat.

 

[erin76]

I have an indoor/outdoor cat who THINKS she can stalk the chickens....it is quite funny to watch the chickens get after her and chase her away!

 

[LauraG]

My 2 cats get their asses handed to them by my 20 week old chickens.

I was worried sick over the big bad hunters getting my chickens, but its quite the opposite.......

 

[woodmort]

I've had chickens for over 25 yrs and cats for close to 70--only had one problem with the two. The first year we had chicks at this place--25 yrs ago--I brooded them on the floor of a side room down in the cellar. Someone left the door open and our 6-yr old cat got in and kill two 2-week old chicks. After that never had a problem after the birds feathered out enough to look like chickens and 3 of my current 5 cats are outdoors all day same as the chickens. In fact, my 13-yr old cat helps me close them up at night. IMHO it would take a very big, very hungry cat to do any damage to a full sized chicken--even a full grown bantam would not be a likely target. I know there are those on here that will tell you otherwise but I still am skeptical. I once had a cat that brought a full grown cottontail rabbit into out cellar through a window that was 5 feet above the ground and she never bothered a chicken.

 

[denim deb]

When I feed my horses, I'm followed around by both a cat and a chicken.

 

[featherz]

my cats never bother my chickens once they are old enough to be outside. Big chickens? no way! I'd never leave fuzzy chicks where a cat can get to them, but my outdoor cats won't even look twice at my 10 week and up chicks/keets.

 

[oesdog]

We have a Cat and chickens. I have never had an issue with adult hens and the cat, however baby unguarded chicks I think would be a target. I have seen Feral cats go for and kill an adult hen litterally in seconds ( It actually even grabed the dead hen and took it away and it was a very big hen!) but I've never seen a house cat go for hens ever. Here recently a group of adult chickens pecked a Fox to death in a hen house - poor thing got in thinking it would get a free meal and the chickens turned on him and killed him so they can well look after themselves if they have to.

Oesdog - Get the cat! It will help with rodents and you always get them were there is chicken feed.

 

[cat1994]

thanks for all the replies im def. going to get a cat now