Cats...

[Sonya9]

I am not going to argue but if you leave it there it will fix your problem and local humane shelters will take cats off your hands and kitties will find new homes and not be on the streets

First of all, the cats may belong to the neighbors.

Secondly millions of cats are killed in shelters every year.

I am not going to argue either, sending cats to a shelter is usually a death sentence. Securing the coop is better for both the cats AND the chickens.

 

[shodack]

Oh gosh, they aren't feral cats! They are healthy, well cared for cats that belong to neighbors. I certainly can't call animal control on my neighbors cat for being a cat.

 

[donrae]

I lost more chicks last year to my own blessed barn cats than I've lost in the last 20 years of keeping birds. Cats aren't much of a threat to grown birds but chicks are an all you can eat buffet.....

 

[csaylorchickens]

My cat sits and watches them and seems to find them entertaining, luckily. My other younger cat wants to eat them and it's obvious. I also have a neighborhood cat prowling the cage same time everyday around 4 to 5 pm.
So when I'm home and outside I let them free range other wise I put them in their coop with hardware cloth. I love my older cat. He keeps down other pests. He constantly catches lizards and other little critters if they approach the backyard. He caught a mouse once and I live in town! He is a great small pest solver. ) so cats can be an advantage, but they need to be monitored and a goo barrier needs to be between cat and chicken

 

[chickm1]

I guess it depends if you like your chickens more than your neighbor's cats. I would either shoot the predator, or trap it and move it. With a live trap, you might find out it is not your neighbor's cat, but rather a coon, possum or mink. All three will kill chickens.

 

[kmartinez]

Neighborhood cats that roam peoples yards are pests IMO..I have a 6ft chain link a cat can scale that easily or if you have a 10 foot gate like me they can just squeeze through the gap where the gates join..

This is the reason I call roaming animals even if they are your neighbors pests. I have a 30 foot round pool the neighbor allowed her cat to roam everyday and it would come in my yard and one of my dogs is 160lbs my saint bernard if she gets ahold of a cat its not going to be good. The neighbor took no note. One summer morning i go out to service my pool to find that the cat fell into my pool and drown the poor thing tried to claw its way out causing over a thousand dollars in damage to my pool.

Let me say i was very mad when i called and a simple liner for that pool is 799 plus tax thats not including install and 350 dollars to fill it, plus chemicals for it.. Let me say she was quite mad at me for presenting her a bill her exact words where " how can you charge me I just lost my beloved pet"but my thoughts are this . I have a cat she stays in my house I dont allow her to roam to be hit by a car, or poop in my other neighbors kids sand box I dont want anything to happen to her or her to be a neighborhood pest or worse off roadkill. If one of my dogs got out my yard and damaged my neighbors property or killed or injured my neighbors animals I expect a bill of some sort..

As one poster stated shelter I have had to do it, when a new neighbor bought a forclosed house she had a roaming tabby that started having kitens and i would find them in my yard. Again I talked with this neighbor and even told them about a cat falling in my pool and drowning in hopes she would not take a chance. but nope so yes I called animal control and had any cat on my property removed.

Now If a cat was to break into my chickens run that cat is being dispatched just like a racoon, possum or skunk in my yard. My chickens provide food for my family.

I am just explaining my story to you because even a beloved pet can unintentionally cause damage to anothers property everyone fixes their yard to suit their needs, mine is dog proofed for dogs 140lbs plus, my dogs dont jump they can't because they are xlarge breed dogs even though my yard is safe for them to roam and my other animals are safe from them my yard is a danger to roaming animals or small dogs that want to dig under my fence. this happened also rear neighbor has a jack russel that can dig a hole fast she got in my fence and was playing with my st bernard she stepped on its leg and she broke the dogs leg.Thankfully thats all that happened, I have never even let my dogs play with dogs not in their weight class. I have an acre backyard so my dogs run the whole yard we have skunks, racoons and possums never seen another in my yard after i got my dogs. My youngest who is now 15 when she was 5 walked outside to play and a skunk greated her, next thing i did was dispatch it and get 3 xlarge breed pups..sad thing is all my xlarge breed dogs are going on 10 years old now which is considered exceptional lifespan already and they have no ailments I am hopinh I get to be with them another 3 years which most st bernards dont live past nine and if they do they have hip problems or arthritis thank god they all 3 have none of that..

 

[prostar]

Yeah I hate the whole "but cats need to roam!" Mantra. I mean how many cats get hit by cars, eaten by coyotes, etc etc.
not to mention damage to others property. Spraying things...etc.

We've got about four acres we share a bit with the landlord...only pets are my dog and my chickens. Property is fully fenced yet there is a neighbor cat that comes in from time to time.

I have no shame pointing it out to my pup...and the chase is on. (Before any cat lovers get up in arms, she'll chase. But she's the biggest wuss. There was a neighborhood cat that would beat on her...in front of the owners...and they'd laugh. (But would they laugh if peach showed as much aggression towards their cat? Heck no! She's known many cats but she seems to know when they should be there vs when they're on our space and she will run up to them...at which point they're long gone lol)

 

[drumstick diva]

I can't believe cat owners truly love their pets when they allow them outside to roam at will. If they run in front of a car and get killed - they will blame the driver. If they get into rat poison at a house a mile away - that must be their fault too. If they drown in your pool, it's your fault for having one. Hey, if they get stuck in your tree, that's your fault too.

They do not need to roam. I know many folks with indoor cats, if you don't let them out, they live longer , don't kill birds, don't end up having diarrhea in MY flower bed. And the double standard for dogs and cats. Cats can roam free, potty everywhere, spread parasites and disease. They can scratch and bite anyone they please and you can't make them stay till the police or animal control comes to get them. Cats don't even need to be licensed, because who can ever catch them., same with rabies shots. Dogs are supposed to be on lead and the owner is supposed to collect their poo and dispose of it (who knows where). they must have rabies shots.

We live next to a utility easement - cats roam it during the day stalking birds, I can't help but notice because my kitchen windows faces the easement. When I take a walk I often pass roadkill, probably as many cats as raccoons. , someone's cat will not be coming home. If they cared, they would keep it in the house. At night I often hear shrieking, growling, and then it grows quiet, a coyote got another one, cat, rabbit whatever. The folks here know we have fox, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, ground hogs, etc. etc.

I'm sorry but no true cat lover, would take those risks. Enough. You can't get cat owners to change their mind. Their cats will keep getting maimed and dying and they will run out and get some more.

 

[chickm1]

Got cats that live on my barn and roam the world. I feed them daily. If they don't come home tomorrow, that is just the way it is.

 

[shodack]

I didn't realize this would be a hot topic! Thanks for opinions and advice everyone.