Cat - what are my options?

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

It seems whenever the subject of cat vs chicken or duck comes up, there are folks commenting that they have never seen a cat mess with a full grown chicken or duck. But it does happen. i had a neighbor cat come within inches of killing one of my chickens, right in front of me. Luckily, i was faster than the cat (and madder!). We have also had another neighbor's cat go after our ducks. Even though the neighbors swore their cat would never harm a duck, they weren't here when i ran out to find my terrified ducks running and screaming for their lives.

Cats are predators. Some folks may have cats that are sweet and wouldn't hurt a fly. But that doesn't mean all cats are the same.

i'm just saying . . . . . . .

 

[galanie]

I love cats. And the only time I've seen a cat interested in my chickens is when I had little ones. That being said, It is possible that this cat is killing the OP's chickens, folks. At the very least, they have an animal they don't want menacing the flock. I'm hoping the OP can deter or trap it.

Cats do roam, and for that reason are susceptible to lots of dangers. I do not understand how a person can keep all their animals up and then just say "oh well" when a cat runs wild. If your cat is causing a problem, the chicken owner has every right to do whatever he or she can to protect their flock. Your cat can easily be poisoned, shot, trapped, or get rabies, to mention only a few of the things they are exposed to.

I have one here now that someone dumped. It lives in the lot behind me. I've only seen it try to stalk my chickens once, and they persuaded kitty that they weren't going to be prey. But it's not a large cat and that doesn't mean I don't worry about it. It's hungry. I may some day have the same problem the OP has.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Some people put up cameras - do they call them deer cameras or something like that? That way you could see exactly who or what is prowling around. If your chickens are legal, you could then post a description of the intruder around the neighborhood and hopefully someone would come forward or at least take measures to keep their cat away.

My cats are actually a bit afraid of my chickens, but I'm having to train them all over again to leave the baby chicks alone.

We like to let our girls free-range, too, but sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't just be better to keep them confined when I'm not right there with them...they want to be outside but their little bird brains don't understand that it can be a matter of life and death.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Mediazeal, I wasn't doubting you, I just wanted you to know for certain what kind of predator you were dealing with so that you could best prepare your defense. I think it's going to be difficult to cat-proof your entire yard, they climb & jump so easily and can slip through really small spaces. That electric poultry netting might be a worthwhile investment, but that still leaves them open to predators from above.

I've had some big, probably feral, cats coming through my yard lately. They haven't killed anyone yet, but they're definitely stalking my ducks & my guinea. Today I heard a ruckus on the side of the yard, my guinea was giving her trouble call. By the time I ran over to her I saw a big cat go running into the neighbor's woods. I didn't see it, but I believe that the cat had pounced on the guinea but she got away. Thank you Jesus! And this was mid-morning too, full daylight.

I will keep setting traps until I catch this one. I caught another one recently, a big feral tom who had caused 5 of my chicks to die. They were safe in a covered pen with hardware cloth around the sides, but this cat must have had his face up to the wire on one side, causing the chicks to flee in a panic to the other side. In their fright they trampled/crushed 5 of their flockmates.

To catch cats I use smelly canned cat food. Since we have fire ants here that swarm anything edible on the ground I have to set the opened can in a shallow bowl filled with water, to make a moat around the can. I dig a hollow in the ground in which to set the bowl, and place the trap on top. I also place a handful of crushed catnip on the trigger pedal. Then I cover the trap with feed sacks and weigh it down with a cinder block.

I wish you success in your cat-catching, wish us success in catching ours!

 

[mediazeal]

Quote:
NO worries. I appreciate very much everyone's interest and ideas.

The hot wire will deter most animals from coming over the fence, so it will help no matter what.
I dont' see any under the fence 'highways' but I'm on the lookout for them.

I don't want to build them a gigantic outdoor pen which I would need if they can't use the fenced yard. I got them originally to organically make my entire yard pest free. The dogs were getting ticks etc even with their frontline preventative. The chickens are helping cure that slowly. So they have a job to do in the entire yard, not just a pen.

And we will see if I continue to have problems, and of what kind.
thanks all

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Some time this afternoon, before dark, there was a cat in one of the traps. Usually I keep the traps closed during the day because most predators prowl after dark. There have been chickens caught in the live traps if I don't close them while they're out. But since these cats have been coming through during the day I am keeping them open. And am glad I did today.

My son positively identified this cat as the one he has been seeing & chasing out of the yard. It was a feral female. I think there is still another, the one I glimpsed briefly today looked a bit different.

If they would only stick to hunting mice & rats during the night I'd be glad to let them stay. But since they're stalking my poultry during the daytime, they have to be removed.