Chicken-herding kitty?

[chattykathy306]

I just starting free-ranging my chickens this week. I was happy to find that my cats wouldn't bother them. Today, in their search for edible goodies, the girls wandered farther into the woods bordering our yard. When we were trying to coax them back to the yard/coop/run, one of our cats chased them out of the woods and they ran right into the run. Just want to know being of assistance was kitty's motive, or if he is just somehow more intrigued with them and interested in chasing them for his own ulterior motives, when they are in the woods rather than in the yard. Anyone have experience or knowledge about this? These are my first chickens and I am loving them! They are so beautiful and fun to watch.

 

[chattykathy306]

Oops. I apologize for the errors in my wording of previous message. That's what happens from trying to watch "Wheel of Fortune" at the same time!

 

[Imp]

Maybe you have a rare herding cat.

I have a couple outside cats and they seem to enjoy stirring up trouble. Either running through the chickens to see them flap their wings and cluck loudly or aggravating the dogs next door.

Imp

 

[BusyBlonde]

We "have" a cat that adopted us. When he figured out that we fed the songbirds, and the chickens, he has never killed another bird. He still brings us lizards, squirrels, rodents - but seems to understand that birds are off limits.

And this is a cat that has never lived in our home. He adopted us, and lives by what I guess he considers our rules.

 

[chattykathy306]

I suppose this may be what Scout was up to as well, since we couldn't see him through the trees. Maybe just wishful thinking that he was trying to help.

If he tries to kill one of them, he is out of here.

 

[chattykathy306]

Hopefully Scout gets it too that the chickens are off limits. A couple of the cats are busy hunters, mostly mice and chippies. I think they may take an occasional bird though. At least they used to; haven't seen any stray feathers for awhile now. So dark this morning. I am looking forward to waking the "girls" and letting them out to scrounge around. Thinking I may start a light on a timer out there next week, so they might give us an egg for Christmas!