chickens and cats

[KelsiNS]

A good spray with a waterhose will stop most cats (my glass of ice water stopped my neighbors cat!)

 

[chickencuddles]

Thanks from Australia

 

[chickencuddles]

to you too

 

[write2caroline]

I have had feral cats sleeping in the coops with the chickens, sitting with them whilst eggs were being layed and the feral cats have killed snakes and rodents. In turn, I feed these feral cats and got all of them spayed and neutered as needed. I have lost young pullets to these same cats. I thought they were big enough but the cats thought they were food. I lost a few and then I locked the young pullets up for another couple of weeks and they grew big enough that the cats left them alone. Cats will go after young chicks. They leave the full grown chickens alone but I also feed them so that they will never be so hungry they eat my chickens. My neighbors were not spaying or neutering the cats and when they started hanging out eating here and no one claimed overship of said kitties, I felt that it would be okay to get them fixed. My county has a free clinic for them.

If the cat is actively stalking your chickens that could be bad. It may just be hanging out with them

Caroline

 

[kywest]

I have free ranging cats in my neighborhood that I have seen kill adult rabbits. These are pets that are allowed to roam, not feral cats, so they are well fed. I have no doubt they could kill one of my chickens. In fact, they don't have to actually kill your birds outright, as cat saliva can carry bacteria that are toxic to many birds -- they only have to be bitten, and will probably succumb to infection w/o treatment. I feel no differently about fee range cats than i do about roaming dogs -- its irresponsible pet ownership. Any cat caught in my yard (live trap!) goes home with a collar and a note - keep me inside or i go to the pound! In a rural situation it may not be quite so straightforward, as there are so many "unowned" cats, but IMHO, they are all a menace to not only chickens but to wildlife. I feel no sorrow about taking them to the shelter. They kill BILLIONS of native bird every year. It's not their fault - they are just following their instincts, but frankly they are no different than any other introduced species - starlings, garlic mustard, wild hogs, burmese pythons in the Everglades - they are all a threat to native wildlife. BTW - I love my cats - INDOORS!

 

[birdsrfun]

I have my 2 chicks at 4 weeks old now, and they have been going out into the coop during the day. We live in a residential area backed up to the hills. We have several feral cats in the area, and I've watched out for them, but luckily, I have not seen them while the chicks are out. We do have 2 cats of our own, and I was wondering how to introduce the cats to our chicks so that they all get along. Any ideas?