Cats moved in. Letting them stay if i can't find them homes?

[1ChicChick]

Still be careful we have strays/barn cats that have food 24/7 and they still have killed and stolen several fullsized hens that includes young yearling cats stealing chickens.

you have strange cats.

 

[Zinniah]

Well dad cat never came back, he left the day i discovered them. He probably moved away to find another cat to make kittens with. I doubt mom cat or kittens will do anything unless they don't get adopted and stick around until they are mature. The gate didn't close all the way and 2 pullets made it to the patio, i was really worried, then i noticed mom and kittens hiding under the fire pit, i grabbed the girls up and went to make sure everyone was alive and stuff, they were. I thought chickens were supposed to stick together, like herd animals or something lol. Gave me a small scare. I will always watch their behavior but for now it seems fine.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Probably lol i wont be surprised if we had strange cats. And yeah id they dont show interest they should be fine i have (our personal pet cats) cats that protect the flock. And on the note of hens staying together some times when bugs are involved they dont at least i have noticed mine dont if they get out.

 

[MainerChick]

Texas is a tough place for strays of any stripe. My folks adopted a stray dog in SA and some jerk poisoned him for their trouble. He was such a handsome mutt, too.

You might try an online fundraiser to pay for the spay/neuter and then get it done via a vet. Or see if there are any veterinary schools in the area willing to give a discount. If you can sort the medical end out, a little feed should keep them close by and hungry enough to keep the rats under control too. Up here in Maine we love a good barn cat.

Good luck to you!

 

[dekel18042]

cats that aren't hungry, are not the best predators.

Not totally true. Studies have shown in cats, hunting is a learned behavior. If the mother or even the cat who raises the kittens hunts and shows the kittens how to hunt, they will be hunters. Conversely if a kitten from lines that hunt are raised by a non hunting mother, they don't learn.
We had all kinds of poultry including chicks and bantams when I was a child. These cats would catch squirrels, muskrats, but always left the chickens, even peeps alone. Mom hen may have had something to do with that.
We just had a kitten dumped here and she let the chickens alone until we could get her inside.
Thank your for taking them in. Cats and kittens are certainly viewed as disposable pets by some people. If you must resort to Craigslist please screen potential owners carefully. Ask for references and check them out, especially vet references. Some people will get kittens for nefarious purposes.
If veterinarians will allow you to post pictures or signs in their office that might be a better option. Stress that these are discarded kittens, not ones you allowed to breed. Good luck.

 

[Zinniah]

My gate isn't working well, its supposed to latch when i close it, but it doesn't anymore. Going to have my cousin try to fix it. Anyways due to this, sometimes it doesn't close all the way and 2 of my girls like to wander off on their own. The mom cat seemed to be a little wary of them. The pullets were walking around like the cat was invisible. If one of the pullets got within a couple of feet of the cat, she would get up and move over a few steps and lay back down. They had probably been there for a while, so far they seem okay with each other.

 

[MainerChick]

Hey @Zinniah I hope you've been able to establish a balance between the cats and birds. I'd love to hear an update when you have the time!

 

[Zinniah]

Well dad cat shows up maybe every 3 days with food he finds, a black male cat showed up but left and have not seen him again. Kittens are climbing and playing on everything, mom cat doesn't play with them lol. The orange kitten lets me hold it and wont run away, the other two aren't so friendly.

 

[appps]

I don't mind them staying, and im not worried about the chickens anymore. I have been feeding them well. I am more worried about them having lots a babies in the future.
I posted this ad on Craigslist. I really tried to get the importance of spaying and neutering through. I hope someone takes it seriously. I guess its a bit laughable to give away cats and then tell someone to pay over $100 to have them fixed or that they can't have one.
*Available in 2 months, Mom and her 3 kittens*

It's your responsibility to have them fixed if you want one.

The cost of neutering (male cat) usually ranges from $50 to $100.

The cost of spaying (female cat), usually ranges from $100 to $200.

Cats start breeding at 5-6 months of age. A cat has 1-8 kittens, usually 4-6 kittens per litter and 2-3 litters per year. One female cat could have more than 100 kittens in her lifetime.

It's also your responsibility to have have them vaccinated and anything else you would like done.

Mother cat is pretty friendly, still wild though, maybe 3 years old. Kittens are wild & only about 4 weeks old, they need to nurse for another month, and then learn good behavior from mom for another month after that. Gender of the kittens is not available at this time. During the 2 months they will be tamed and ready for adoption at about 12 weeks old.

I would be worried about that too, every one of those girls is going to grow up to have a litter of their own along with mum again. It isn't a problem is going to solve itself by just keeping them sadly.

Maybe a go fund me page for neutering them? But before that I would research taming feral cats. I was under the impression it's pretty near impossible as even the rspca doesn't try and Rehome feral cats. Sadly sometimes putting them down is the only option, especially if you have native species they will be wiping out if left to breed unchecked.

 

[majortaylor]

Check with a national rescue league like the SPCA to see if they have any coupons towards free or low cost neutering that can be used at a vet, or if one of these rescue centers is within driving distance because they'll often do low cost or free neutering days.
They don't need to be killed if they get fixed. Feral cats can live fine, often shorter, but still good lives once the breeding issue is under control!
Feral kittens are easily tamed once they are taken away from mum- she's the one that teaches them to be afraid. I had one that bit me and was just petrified of me until one night I heard it crying and I went in and decided to chance petting her. Suddenly it was purring and thought I was her new mama!