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

[Zinniah]

Sunday the 8th, i walked out of my back door to see that a family of cats had moved into, or actually onto my patio. They all jumped up and bolted for cover, i guess they thought no one lived here? Lol! There is a daddy cat, mommy cat, and 3 kittens about 4 weeks old. They have yet to bother the chickens.
Chickens are not common around here so maybe they are afraid of them and/or the cockerel. The chickens are large, they are the same size as the dad cat, so that could also be it.
I found a medium sized rat with its head missing, so maybe they have only left the chickens alone because there are a few rats around. I'm not sure.
I do not want to be responsible for their deaths by "turning them in".
Cats are a bit overpopulated, no shelter wants to take them for adoption purposes, they will be killed. They told me over the phone, that they do not take cats.

I am still checking with veterinary/animal clinics, im hoping to find one that will take the family or at least take them after I've tamed them. I could try and find homes for them myself if I cant find a clinic to take them. It would take least 2 months for the kittens to be old enough to leave their mom, since the kittens are so young, surely they can be tamed by then.
I would like to keep letting my chickens roam around but, there is only a 4ft tall 2"x4" welded fence that separates my patio area from the chicken area (what used to be my back yard, lol). The cats have only been here like 2 days, it could be only a matter of time before the dad cat tries to eat my chickens. It's better to be safe than sorry. I'm willing to confine my chickens to their run for a couple of months, though they probably aren't willing. Their favorite dust hole is outside of the run.
If i can't find them a home, I'm thinking I will just let them stay. I will keep trying to find homes while they are here though. If i notice them stalking the chickens, I could cage them and then drop them off at a vets office a couple of hours before they open as a last resort.

Have you ever had cats move in while you were trying to free range your chickens, what did you do, and how did it work out?

 

[jaxchic]

I have 14 barn cats, and over 150 chickens, of all sized..and have not had a cat kill or harm one yet. Honestly, the best thing you can do to prevent death is to feed the kitties. Even some cheap ol Meow Mix. They hunt and eat to feed themselves if they are starving, if they are fed and not hungry that greatly reduces the chances of that happening. If you feed them they should just stick to hunting mice and small prey for fun, not because they are desperatly starving.
No matter what happens, please, please try to get them all spayed and neutered or this problem will quickly get worse.

 

[Zinniah]

I have good news! Early this morning, out of the 4 clinics i contacted, 1 called back and told me that would be in contact with me!

 

[1ChicChick]

Our cats never even bothered with our chicks when they were inside while feathering out. They investigated, found them to be a nuisance and went on their way. And this is including our cat that hunts for sport more than anything. He kills birds and mice, and anything he can get his paws on for entertainment. And he wasn't interested in chickens. They are too noisy. Better to leave and stay away from those things.

 

[Zinniah]

I was able to zoom in and get pictures of the kittens. The orange one is like mom, very sociable. The other two are very timid and wont come near, even if mom is letting me pet her.

 

[Zinniah]

I'm glad to see that you two have great experiences, because daddy cat might end up staying! He has gone somewhere, he rarely stays around, I have only seen him about 3 times briefly. They haven't called me back yet, they just opened the clinic so they're probably busy. Hopefully I can catch dad cat in a trap. Even if they aren't interested in trying to adopt im out, maybe they will still neuter him for free or low cost since im taking the time to tame the kittens for them.

 

[Zinniah]

Well they said there is nothing they can do. Surgery is $180 and it covers the recovery, pain med and antibiotics. There aren't any clinics any where near me, not even with a couple of hours, that get enough donations for these types of things i guess. Well there is still Craigslist.

 

[Tumbling K]

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

I think if you keep them fed, you won't have to worry about them bothering something as large as a chicken. I wouldn't expect them to put much of a dent in your small rodent population either.

 

[Zinniah]

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.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

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.