Cats after chickens?

[ailurophile23]

Some cats are much larger in their own minds than they are in reality - cats like this will often stalk prey that is much bigger, at least until that "prey" turns on them. We had a cat for a long time that stalked and chased deer - because the deer ran away from him. One of my barn cats is most certain that he would like to attack a chicken but he is all hot air - he climbs into the chickens' free-range area and stalks the chickens as long as I am looking....but if a chicken looks at him, he moseys off like he has no interest. He moves much more quickly if the chicken comes directly at him. So much depends on the cat and on your chickens - in my experience, if the chickens don't run or if they fight back, the cat will only try catching them once. Since it is not your cat, you have to err on the side of caution and cage your chickens or convince your neighbors that they need to keep their cat on their property. Good luck!

 

[ChickInDelight]

Check the Predators section. I am seeing more worrying about cats than actual preying by them on this sight. Let's face it, cats are everywhere, and reports of attacks are, well, I have seen zero so far.

 

[mcjessen]

Quote:
Our chickens eat the cat food also. The cats back off and let them. Our tortoise shell kitty likes to eat the chicken food too. I found her inside the coop one day after I'd locked the chickens in the run. Oops! She'd been eating the food out of the feeder. She was scared to death - more of me yelling at her than of the chickens. She learned quickly not to run from the chickens. We also have a maine coon mix (she's very small but has all the other main coon characteristics) who is deathly afraid of the chickens. The chickens love to torment her because they know she'll run and they enjoy the chase. It's quite comical.

Like another poster said, it really depends on the cat. And since it is not your cat, I agree, err on the side of caution.

 

[Nonny]

I was worried about my cat with our three chooks. He's a hunter, was a rescue kitty that was found abandoned so we don't know his breed but he hunts and stalks and catches birds all the time so for the first few months I only ever let the chooks out to range when I was able to be in the yard with them and supervise.

One day they were kicking up a fuss and I went out to find a wild bird trapped in their run. I got the bird out and the girls still kicked up a fuss.... after further searching I found our cat hiding behind the coop looking quite subdued so I can only guess the chooks gave him a good talking to when he broke into the run to chase the wild bird. (Run has now been fixed to stop it happening again - we had a bit that wasn't fully pegged to the ground and he must have chased the bird under the wire)

Now I'm not so worried.... he will give them a hurry up from time to time but without serious intent and he's yet to do more than charge at them until they scatter and then they all (cat included) just chill out and go back to what they were doing.

They also don't seem too worried about him now and have stopped sounding the alert when he's in the yard, even will happily forage near him while he's lying in the woodpile sunning himself.

 

[Baxter's Chickens]

Thanks for all the great advise and funny posts. The cat wasn't around today, he is a small guy with a collar so belongs someplace. I will keep a watch. We do have a dog, but the chickens chase him around the yard!

He loves his chickens! Runs around like a kook!

img]https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/85801_img_0105.jpg[/img]

 

[Chickiemom25]

Neighbor cat use to watch the girls in the run intent on catching one.. now the plymouth rock is bigger than the cat.. She watches from afar but I am convinced the girls will peck her if she gets close enough.

 

[CheekyChooks]

We have loads of cats around our village but none really dare stalk the chickens. The only one I was concerned about when we had her was a very tiny bantam silkie cross but she was so plucky she ran and chased any cats who dared come into the yard. Now they don't even watch from the fence, they just leg it. We also have 4 cats and have had them out with the chickens and they are so scared of them if they get too close. I would say, if its a ferral type cat then it may be a problem especially if you have small or timid fowl.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

I have two cats.
One (in my avatar) was completely petrified by even the day old chicks. He wouldn't enter or exit the house through the breezeway while they brooded out there. He would literally shake in fear anytime he had to be near them.
The other is a cat I got from a neighbor's barn. She catches birds mid-air, she gets between 4 & 6 chipmunks & assorted critters a day.
I was, for obvious reasons, more concerned about her. (She averages 2 birds a week, even with a bell on her collar.)
She would sit on the breezeway & watch them in the brooder box, tail flicking, for hours but never did anything more than laugh at her friend Smokey for being so scared.
Now Smokey is not scared of them, and wants to be around them all the time. He runs up when it is treat time for the ducks and chickens and tries to eat the banana or peas or whatever it is with them. He helps me clean their coops and I have noticed he gets a lot more critters to drop at my feet lately.
Beullah, my other cat, still loves to lay there, tail flicking, and sometimes seems like she is stalking them, but never tries anything more than a few tender steps toward them. She does like to poach the birds who love to move in to the duck coop for a free meal, and she is never far away from them, but has never tried to attack them.
I think the chickens and ducks trigger a lot of excitement in the cats. They flap, take dust bathes, run all over in their noisy little packs, attract mice & other tasty treats. Also, I think my warrior cat would have more trouble than she could handle against my most docile hen. I would be very concerned if it were a feral cat - especially here, those Maine Coon cats are huge -but I think most times the cats are fantasizing more than plotting.
I don't think we should ever be cavalier. There is always a chance of predation from animals whose personality you don't know. But I would think that 4 chickens vs. 1 cat would a fair fight. I think Smokey knew that from the day they were popped into the brooder. I have a feeling Beullah agreed.
My grandfather had a problem with a cat harassing his aviary - he kept doves and homing pigeons - and he planted himself in a chair with one of my early supersoaker guns and a jelly jar of bourbon every night for a week. The cat took 2 nights of soaking & never returned. (My grandfather was a nice guy, but got some real enjoyment out of tormenting the predators & pests at his farm. I still pity the deer that would try to get at his garden, and the squirrels... HA!)

 

[brandislee]

Quote:
Our chickens eat the cat food also. The cats back off and let them. Our tortoise shell kitty likes to eat the chicken food too. I found her inside the coop one day after I'd locked the chickens in the run. Oops! She'd been eating the food out of the feeder. She was scared to death - more of me yelling at her than of the chickens. She learned quickly not to run from the chickens. We also have a maine coon mix (she's very small but has all the other main coon characteristics) who is deathly afraid of the chickens. The chickens love to torment her because they know she'll run and they enjoy the chase. It's quite comical.

Like another poster said, it really depends on the cat. And since it is not your cat, I agree, err on the side of caution.

My cats like to eat the chicken food, too. We bring our mousers into the garage each night and one night I couldn't find Smoke. We waited a few hours for him, hoping he would show up to eat. I found him freaked out and mewing in the chicken run! Which is really funny because they can climb that fence like it's nothing, so I have no idea why he couldn't get out.

I have seen my cats stalk the smaller pullets, but I have watched them do this pretty closely (I wanted to know what they would actually do...) and the most they have done is spook the birds. And the roosters and older hens put them in their place pretty quick. But for the most part there is a pretty peaceful co-existence.

 

[Florida_country_boy]

My flock has been attacked twice by cats(family farm cats). The last time it happened, the little cat was stalking the queen of the yard(2yr old BO), and she ended up attacking the cat and winning. Now none of the cats mess them anymore.