So, I put my chickens out in the run/coop about two weeks ago. We live on a busy street and never have seen but one cat around here and it was a year and a half ago. Tonight, my dog alerted me to something outside, so I went to check on the chickens (as we have lots of raccoons and you name it). I seen this big beautiful, healthy lookin' black and white cat looking at my chickens. I never had problems with cats ever before with my chickens. But I'm just wondering if anyone else ever has? I have a sneaky suspicion that my neighors brought the cat over here since I have the chickens. Just a gut feeling, as when they seen me putting up the fencing and then seen the chickens, they took a second look. They are all partiers, so we really don't associate if you know what I mean. They live just up the hill.
Hopefully they are just being nosy. My cats are bums, and only look at chickens as forms of entertainment
My cats couldn't care less about my chickens...however, my neighbor who has unfixed females and males running around, well let's just say their cats are far too interested in my chickens. Beyond the point of just gazing at them through the fence. If you think that the cat is there to eat them, then most likely he is.
Most cats are not a threat to a grown chicken, only chicks and sometimes broodies who are setting and in a trance most of the time. I have a chicken killing cat. She now lives indoors full-time. As a former feral, she hates living indoors but she has gone after my LF chickens on more than one occasion. She is the exception rather than the rule, but I take no chances.
There's many wild cats here, plus a very close neighbor's cat that is mostly outdoors only. I was concerned when the girls were chicks but not so much anymore since the they're bigger. The cats can't get into them, even the floor is wired. The neighbor's cat follows me around sometimes for company and snoozes by the chicken pen or occasionally stalks them, totally ignored by the chickens, before laying down by the pen to watch them. I've no doubt that any of the cats would take a small creature if given the chance. But the chickens are safe from the cats and the cats keep the skunks and such away...usually. Years ago my indoor/outdoor cats would kill skunks, snakes, rats, and wild rabbits but never wanted to mess with the grown chickens.
My cats like to eat the chicken feed. They also help control the rodents. I would NEVER trust them with an immature bird. If a bird is dead...the cats go nuts and devour it, but they won't attempt to take down a live one. They have all learned the painful lesson that a live chicken is NOT food and chickens will form a lynch mob against a cat when provoked.
Domestic cats don't tend to really do anything to chickens, not that I've noticed. Mine could care less and love to watch them on the porch (just like I do) and sometimes she tries to scare one but she fails and runs and hides. I think since chickens/cats are about the same size it seems neither really want to fight the other.
