Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

OT: cats

We have a semi-feral black and white tuxedo cat that has lived around here for maybe 3 years. It was hurt last summer and we tried to catch it with no success. It will lay 4 feet away, but if anyone gets close, it runs. I have seen it hanging out on the wing wall with my 10 year old male cat, and last summer when it was injured, he was taking it food (saw him take it a mouse one time).

So, when my husband went to the storage area (in the house, heated) to get a piece of wood for the fire Tuesday morning, he was surprised to find it in the area with our 9 month female kitten. They were laying side by side on the floor looking like they had done if forever. When it saw him it ran out through the dog door. I say it because we haven't gotten a good enough look at it to know gender.

I knew there was too much cat food being eaten for our 2 cats and now I know where it was going. All I have to do now is convince it that we aren't going to hurt it if it lets us get close.

 

[HEChicken]

Awww Sharol, it sounds like animals know where to go when they need a kindly soul to care for them. I would guess the tuxedo is a female if your male cat was taking it food.

 

[sharol]

Awww Sharol, it sounds like animals know where to go when they need a kindly soul to care for them. I would guess the tuxedo is a female if your male cat was taking it food.

I agree (that it is probably female). We haven't seen any kittens (wild ones) since it has been here though, so that would imply that if female, it is spayed. Our kitten was tame from the start (since I found her in the chicken run), so I doubt that she was the tuxedo cat's daughter. She had clearly been handled.

Time will tell. My dh has no objections to the cat's coming in for food and shelter either since it gets along with our cats, so we are just going to give it time.

And yes, we are suckers for animals in need.

 

[HEChicken]

And yes, we are suckers for animals in need.

I think it goes with the territory! I don't think I've ever had a dog or a cat that wasn't a rescue and they just make the best pets because they really appreciate being given a second chance at happiness.

 

[chicken danz]

I've never had a rescue dog because I have dogs that work and their breeding is important to me. But I have placed several. People drop them off in the country and just expect some one to take care of them. I've fed them, friended them, and found them homes. I have rescued a few or maybe I should say a ton a cats. I don't even like thinking about how much I've spent on having cats neutered that were dump offs or ferals. I have to exercise so much control not to rescue every animal out there. ....with the exception of mice, rats, snakes, raccoons, skunks,possum and coyotes. I've even rescued a couple of those in the past when I wasn't raising chickens. What was I thinking??????
My cats would never eat chicken feed, fermented or not. They are way too picky! In fact I have to buy a couple different flavors in one breed due to their preferences. And then they get special treats like tuna etc at least twice a day. They get that special treatment only so they don't drive us insane begging for it. The dogs however love it and will often choose grain over their dog food.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Anyone have any ideas how to keep cats from feasting on chicken feed all day? I have 4 cats and the minute the hen door is open, they think it is a free buffet. I can't keep the hen door closed because the chickens need access to the coop for eating/laying... Is there anything I can put in the feed that the cats won't like but won't harm the chickens?

I'm getting in the spring mood and finding that having too much time on my hands is not a good thing lol

If you truly want to keep the cats out of the chicken coop, try spraying this around the chicken coop door. The smell won't harm the chickens, and the cats don't like it.

http://cats.lovetoknow.com/Recipe_for_Cat_Repellent

 

[lizzyGSR]

If you truly want to keep the cats out of the chicken coop, try spraying this around the chicken coop door. The smell won't harm the chickens, and the cats don't like it.

http://cats.lovetoknow.com/Recipe_for_Cat_Repellent

Just in case the chickens also don't like the smell, you might try spraying it on something and then setting that something next to the chicken coop door. That way, if the chickens don't like it, it is easy to remove.

 

[cherwill]

Awww Sharol, it sounds like animals know where to go when they need a kindly soul to care for them.

Just what I was thinking.

My Weim is a rescue dog. She has some issues, but she's a wonderful dog. She freaks out about being left alone, which is why I worry about how she'll handle it when the older dog is gone. Her bad habit is that she mouths or nibbles. She's cut down on it a lot, but we can't seem to break her of it entirely. Yet it's the delicate, purchased-from-a-respectable-breeder Vizsla who is the one who was starting the fights between the dogs. She's much older, and much more gentle with people, so it's hard to imagine her being the one to start fights with a dog twice her size, but that's how it is.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Just in case the chickens also don't like the smell, you might try spraying it on something and then setting that something next to the chicken coop door. That way, if the chickens don't like it, it is easy to remove.

Thanks lizzy; I will check it out. I've also caught the cats in the coop many times going to the bathroom. I really would like to keep them out of the coop if at all possible.

 

[ashncarson]

Both of our dogs are shelter dogs, we got Shiloh (our beagle mix) when he was 7 wks old, he just turned 8
Douglas (yorkie possibly mix) we got when he was around 4 months old, and he is turning 3 this year.

I love my dogs, but was lucky to get them small as puppies...I am not sure if I would be comfortable getting a older shelther dog without being able to "try them out" like HEchicken was able to (I believe that was you that got to do that)