Cats hunting my chickens

[Fluffnut]

They die. I help them.

I do not agree that this is a good way to deal with the issue of cats, especially when they are someone else's pet, but I must say... this answer is great!

 

[bobbi-j]

One of the best quotes I have seen on BYC goes something like, "When your pet is in your yard, it's a pet. When it's in my yard, it's a predator."

 

[Don 27]

I do not agree that this is a good way to deal with the issue of cats, especially when they are someone else's pet, but I must say... this answer is great!

I don't understand it.

 

[Don 27]

One of the best quotes I have seen on BYC goes something like, "When your pet is in your yard, it's a pet. When it's in my yard, it's a predator."

Love it!

 

[TheRealWitwiki]

Meow mix is cheap. Try putting out a bowl of cat food to divert their attention from your chickens. We have a bout 8 or 9 cats that wonder on and off of our property and they never attack our chickens. I actually wish I would have taken a picture we throw out scraps and the cats and chickens eat together side by by side. Also our rooster is pretty good about protecting his hens.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Interesting perspectives on this thread. I have had a lifelong affinity for chickens. This evidently started when I was a toddler in the spring of 1963. At that time my maternal grandparents let their chickens free range and my Grandma Shook kept finding her baby chicks dead in the yard. As I was later told, everyone was at a loss because the family dogs had never exhibited any aggressiveness towards the chickens and the chicks showed no obvious injuries from other predators. But as the deaths continued, my Grandpa Shook became convinced it was one of the dogs and was considering putting them down. Then one morning and fortunately for the dogs, I came into the house and dropped a baby chick on the coffee table while pronouncing, "I can play with it now". I remain thankful that my Grandparents chose not to eliminate the "predator" involved.

 

[Don 27]

Meow mix is cheap. Try putting out a bowl of cat food to divert their attention from your chickens. We have a bout 8 or 9 cats that wonder on and off of our property and they never attack our chickens. I actually wish I would have taken a picture we throw out scraps and the cats and chickens eat together side by by side. Also our rooster is pretty good about protecting his hens.

The only thing you might want to consider is that once you start feeding a cat they always come back for more. So if you're gonna feed it plan on most likely adopting it. ...all though they usually calm down and don't hunt as much once you provide food for them.

 

[2hotchicks]

They die. I help them.

Re: "They die. I help them." Sometimes animals slip out from the most cautious of homes. It's cruel to kill a non-aggressive animal. And incredibly heartbreaking for the family searching for their beloved pet. I can't imagine you would welcome someone doing that to you and yours, when there was no intentional neglect.

So true. If our chickens somehow get loose & tear up the neighbor's garden, we wouldn't want the homeowner to kill our chickens. Good neighbors try to get along. Open & honest conversation is a good first step.

 

[bobbi-j]

Again - there is a difference between “somehow get loose” and “keeps coming over”. If I were careless enough to let my chickens continuously tear up my neighbor’s garden, said neighbors should have the right to eliminate that problem, too.

 

[Fluffnut]

Again - there is a difference between “somehow get loose” and “keeps coming over”. If I were careless enough to let my chickens continuously tear up my neighbor’s garden, said neighbors should have the right to eliminate that problem, too.

I think it’s best to first try the diplomatic approach, and if that doesn’t work, resort to more violent ways to solve the problem. If your neighbors are reasonable, they’ll probably see what you’re saying. If your pets get out or are let out and are killed, that is on you... but I still wouldn’t like it if someone killed my cat without telling me he was a problem in the first place.