Cat has been getting a little too close for comfort....

[77horses]

OK so I never knew we had any threats to our chickens from cats. Our neighbors have cats, but they don't really bother our chickens. Well, today I found a died adult chipmunk in our chicken's outside run. I was wondering what killed it....

Today I found out. I heard something snapping around the in woods in the late morning, and I decided to see what it was. Maybe just a bunch of chipmunks playing around or something. So I stood on our porch, looking out back of our house, when suddenly a gray cat walks out from behind our garage!

I've never seen that cat before, and I think it may be a stray. So anyways, it saw me and stopped dead in its tracks. It stood there staring at me for what seemed a long time. I stomped the porch with my foot on the porch and the cat ran back behind the garage and into the woods. After that I couldn't find him.

Now I'm really worried about the chickens. The cat was an adult and that chipmunk was right in the chicken's run...and I suspect that the cat killed it. That's a little too close for comfort I would say. When he came stalking out from behind the garage, I think surprised him because he was walking towards the chicken's run and the chickens were in it.

I'm not sure if he will try and attack one of them, and I don't want to take any chances.

We do have a big RIR rooster in one of the 3 coops, who will attack about anything that threatens him or his hens. I know that if that cat gets through the wire and attacks one of the chickens, he will most likely try and attack the cat. But that cat was pretty big, and I'm worried that it will attack during the night.

Any advice? I'm really worried that he/she will attack our chickens.

Already he is clearly comfortable around our house because he just walked out from behind the garage and toward the chicken coop in daylight, but he didn't know I was there.
The cat was gray and short haired, and was one of those ones with really round and big heads and small eyes. Kinda creepy looking.

Not sure what breed it is.


How can be prevent this cat from getting our chickens?

Thanks!

 

[Boondachs]

tell the neighbors to keep their cats on their property or better yet, where it belongs, in their house. the ONLY domestic cats that should be outside are barn cats(to serve rodent patrol).
Otherwise the solution is simple, shoot it.

sorry just reread..you said it was a stry...call AC to trap it if you can't find owners...otherwise back to the origianal plan.

 

[77horses]

Quote:
It is not our neighbor's cat that I know of. Our neighbors said that it may be a stray because it has been around for a while, but I haven't ever noticed it.

I will ask our other neighbors who are further up the road...I really don't want to kill it unless it is attacking our chickens.
Maybe we could call a local animal patrol and they could catch it?

 

[Boondachs]

Quote:
Yeah, I don't wanna seem like a evil cat killer, heck I drive my wife nuts by rescuing strays, but if it comes down to my chickens or the cat...hummmmmm.