Cats in the coop

[Psycholili]

I have a decent sized run/pen for my chickens but range them during most of the daylight hours. I leave the gate to the run open for the girls so they can lay, eat, etc. Problem is once the run is open, one of our male cats thinks it's his private napping area. He'll get into the coop (which I leave open because my girls lay at all hours of the day) and plop his butt in a nesting box and stay there. The bigger problem is my girls do not like the cat and especially do not like him in their nesting boxes. They won't go into the coop or lay if he's in there and they get very agitated and aggressive. I can't keep the cat indoors either. How in the world do I keep my cat from hanging out in the coop without having to close it or their run up?

 

[Animalian]

I have heard that the smell of pepper will deter a cat. Just sprinkle it in the doorway. It won't hurt the chickens. It will wash away in the rain but might make him go somewhere else if you keep it up for a while so he assumes the smell will be there.

 

[Psycholili]

It's worth a try. Thank you!