Cat - what are my options?

[mediazeal]

Quote:
I have seen the cat in my yard and on my fence watching the chickens
the kinds of injuries are cat, not raccoon, not possom, not hawk
this last chicken had lots of keep tears from cat claws across her back from the cat chasing and pouncing her, trying to drag her down. A hawk kills immediately. Skunks are not known to attack full grown hens in the open in daylight, raccoons tear off pieces, usually the head, possums attack from the rear and tear into the lower body. This was on top of her back, cat claw type scratches, over and over as she escaped and ran away again.
This is the second chicken killed. The other was bantam size and was killed and partially eaten and then licked clean. Not carried away, hidden, etc. Left in the middle of the yard where the cat killed her.

I have been looking for the owners of this big, big long hair tom cat. No one is talking yet.
I have bought a charger etc and hotwire so will be putting that up as I figure it out
The kids are only out of the coop when I am home for a few hours each evening, with the dogs in the yard to encourage the cat to stay out.

I'll post pics of my hotwire job when I have it done.
If it does not deter more deaths I will trap and SPCA.

My kids are only out til dusk then locked in their very secure coop, attacks were mid-day
the raccoons, skunks and possum I have seen in my neighborhood and yard are only out at night.
I prefer them to be able to free range in our 6ft high fenced yard, soon to be hot wired.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm so sorry for your losses. i have had problems with neighbor cats, but have not had a death, thankfully. One neighbor with bothersome cats agreed to put up posts and netting on top of our mutual fence. i did the same over a length of fencing i saw the cats jumping up and over, and then sealed a break in the bottom of one fence board they used as a highway. They still manage to come over, but it forces them to enter the yard where my goats roam. Our three nigerian dwarf goats aren't aggressive but they will follow and try to intimidate cats that come into the yard.

i recently added some geese, still goslings, as another deterrant. They are still kids, but pretty protective of the yard. i love cats and would not want to hurt one. But i would trap and take any aggressive cat to animal control. Good luck. i suspect the hot wire will surprise that cat when he next tries to sit on the fence to case your yard.

 

[mediazeal]

Quote:
Yup, plus my neighbor says, "yeah! it will deter the squirrels and field mice that try to use the fence top as a highway at night."

we will see
thanks for all of your concern and ideas.
I'll keep you posted

 

[jimmythechicken]

we had a tom cat kill some of our 9 week old pullets.i always have live traps set around the farm when i catch big tom cats i take care of them myself when i catch a niehbors cat i will just roll the cage 20-30 times freak him out real good an open they never come back.the tom cats will just keep killing once they start.good luck

 

[saddina]

Set the trap, I can't imagine a cat can't get past a hot wire, if food's on the line. If it's the same cat, take it to the pound, and let them know this stray cat's been harassing your pets. If you get something non-cat... be happy! skunks, opossums etc do far more damage faster. If you don't want to deal with any non-cat trapee, call a pest control company, and they'll come out and dispose of it.

 

[Gullygarden]

My electric chicken mesh keeps out cats and dogs. I have never lost a chicken to any predator since I got it two years ago. google premier and get a solar charger. good for 8 week old and up. Most cats,by the way, do not hunt adult chickens, but are dangerous to chicks. Sure it wasn't a dog? They wew my biggest problem before I got the electric fence.

 

[Saltysteele]

not saying it doesn't happen, but we've never, in 30 years of owning chickens, had a cat (feral or pet) mess with chickens. they watch them, but then go on their way.

again, not saying it doesn't happen, as there is always an exception to every rule (i guess this isn't a rule, but i can't think of another expression

)

 

[cpwhip]

I go to sams club and get the large containers of cyan pepper then I sprinkle it where I don't want cats or possum, groundhogs etc..
so far I used it in the mulch in my flower beds because cats like to use it as a litter box, I've also used it on my vegi's in the garden to keep
groundhogs from eating my plants. it works especially well on cats they either step in it or sniff it then go lick their paws then they are in for a not so pleasant treat, one thing I know is they never come back to the spot where they got burned by the pepper. you may want to surround your run with it far enough as to not bother the chickens yet close enough that the cat has to walk through it to get to the fence. no cats or animals are killed or harmed just really really uncomfortable. we also used mountain lion urine when we lived in Colorado to deter animals.

 

[featherz]

I'd make *sure* it was the cat. I have feral and barn cats all over my property and they have never messed with a chicken, even the small ones. They will sit around and watch them, but that's it. I even had chicks out with a broody and I have to admit I was worried about the cats, but all chicks made it to teenagers (when they were rehomed). I once caught three pullets chasing one of my cats around my yard.

Of course it's not impossible that it's a cat - and either way, protecting from the cat will cover the other predators as well I'd think.

 

[Mattemma]

Live trap it and haul it away.Keep your trap set 24/7.

Even if it wasn't the cats getting the chickens I would want to get rid of any cats coming into my yard. I have 3 of my own and I am able to keep them in my own yard,so I expect the same respect from others. I think it stinks to spend your limited cash on detering other peoples animals.I would just get rid of them.