CATS

[DixieByrdRN]

Thank everyone so much. I put them in their outdoor brooder today (looks like a dog house kinda with a run attached) and the cat came looking but basically did a walk or two and ran off into our field to go field mice hunting (I assume). Thanks for all the info. Thats what I kept thinking, I mean people have barn cats and chickens all the time, but I figured mine would get eaten if I didn't ask. hahaha NOW as far as my border collie, I think he thinks chicken leg sushi is in his future and my boxer could care less about them.

 

[GoodEgg]

We have a 9 year old cat that we introduced to the ducks when they were almost full sized. We introduced them VERY carefully, with ducks in a pen, just in case. The cat is kinda fat, and lazy, and not a hunter and when she discovered that the ducks were sometimes involved with WATER she decided that she wanted no part of them. Now we let them in the yard together, and they're fine. Sometimes the ducks follow the cat around.

A tiny kitten showed up in the woods a couple weeks ago. We introduced him to the ducks too. They are much bigger than him, and so far he's afraid of them.

However, he ACTS like a hunter. I always watch him carefully around the ducks, because even a playful scratch could develop into an infection. And NO WAY would I let him in the room where the chicks are, and I put him away before I open the hospital cage. I wouldn't trust the fat cat with the chicks either, for that matter.

Once the chicks get bigger ... I don't know. I have a feeling when they are full sized, the fat cat will ignore them also. But the kitten will be bigger too by then, and I'm not sure whether I will ever be able to trust him around the chickens, or the ducks in future either. I guess it really depends on the cat, as far as I am guessing.

I'm hoping I can make him trustworthy with them. We also have gerbils, and he goes crazy playing with them through the glass. One accidentally escaped a few days ago, and I found them playing together on top of the gerbil cage. Maybe he's really just playing gently enough. Or maybe he hadn't gotten around to biting yet. Either way, nothing happened before I found them, because the gerbil would have bitten back, and both were fine.

So I guess I have to wait and see.

Somehow I think it must be a lot easier to train dogs. Dogs I am used to. Cats I am never sure about.

 

[DixieByrdRN]

Well so far, the cat has left the girls alone except for the occasional walk by to see if they are still there. She hasn't tried to get in their pen at all... now as far as the dog goes, my boxer could care less, but my border collie puppy tried to get one of my roo's when I opened the coop. It was horrible. As soon as I open it up, the Doc came flying out like a mad man and here come Quigley right after him. I finally caught the dog and put him up but it sure did scare me.

 

[chickbea]

My cat, who is a mighty huntress of rodents, shows great interest in the chickens but has never attacked them. She stalks them elaborately, but when they see her getting close and they wave their wings at her, she's off like a shot.
However, I once had an old neutered male who happily took on coons, dogs, and anything else that crossed his path. One day he brought home a huge ruffed grouse. I'm sure he took her right off of her nest, so I would be careful for sure if you have any broodies.

 

[Rosalind]

I have a mighty huntress of a cat, who as a kitten brought me rats nearly as big as herself, and when she met the chickens they managed to stand her down. But we also have five rather aggressive Ameraucana pullets and five roos, so I think she was cowed mostly by the sheer numbers--she couldn't pick out one without another giving her a hard time, and her usual hunting technique involves separating one prey and getting it cornered. When she approached one chicken, the rest flapped at her, so she backed off. I'm sure with fewer chickens, she would have brought us dinner, and not understood at all why I was upset...

 

[dragonlili]

I have 3 cats, 2 of which are good huntresses. I have also seen at least one neighbor cat. My girls have never considered the chickens to be prey birds. They ran away from them in the house and outside when they were small chicks. I have varying ages of chickens and the cats have never wanted to do anything but hang out, as if they understand that this is an entirely different species of bird than the ones they catch.

If only it was that easy with the dog...