Do cats kill chickens?

[ChickenLegs13]

It's cool. The cat was a useless creature that contributed nothing to my household. Just another predator.

 

[Owingsia]

I dont doubt that a cat can kill a chicken.... I saw what a big RIR Roo can do to a cat first hand.
Sam caught a local cat stalking a few of the chicks that were out with mom.... poor cat got blind sided by rooster feet. Neighbors were not happy about their cat getting hurt. I never said anything other than "I wonder if it messed with a possum or something."


I know cats can and will kill young birds, I have seen a full grown hen defend herself against a cat but again those are bigger birds like RIR, Bard Rocks.... not sure how a smaller bird would do.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I left the door of my broody pen open the other day while I was inside and one of my grumpy old hens that has bittys ran out and attacked an 8 week old kitten that was just walking by minding his own business. She did kung-fu on him, grabbed him with her beak and slung him against the wall. Then she grabbed him again with her beak and started body slamming him on the ground like they do when they catch a frog. She would have killed him if I hadn't kicked her off him. The poor thing laid on the ground and flopped around for about 5 minutes before it got up and crawled away.
When my hens are broody I've seen them attack full grown cats quite a few times. Any other time my chickens & cats mingle peacefully.
But NEVER trust ANY cat around bittys or young chickens.

 

[Churkenduse]

Thanks all of you. I love cats and I would really never kill one. I grew up with them. I might try to scare it with a pellet gun if I knew It couldn't kill it. Cats are just another creature I our world that should be respected, I believe that if indeed they can kill a chicken, which I now believe that might not be true, they would be doing it out of some fear or instinct.

I do not believe the cat came back My Lakenvelder hen has spurs, maybe that is why there were a lot of feathers she may have fought with the cat... Time will tell. Thanks for alkl the interesting posts.

 

[Bullitt]

I came home just it time to find a cat jumping one of my RIR chickens I yelled and scared it away, it is not a wild cat it belongs to someone, not sure which one.

I then looked to see if my girl was hurt and found that the cat had attacked my white Lakenvelder also there were clumps of feathers. I found them both unhurt but frightened.

I can't sit home 24/7 if this cat comes back how likely is it that they can kill my girls, I used to have cats and they killed small birds and brought them home....but chickens? Any thoughts? thank you.

Can you have a rooster? A rooster will attack the cat if it comes near. That would probably teach the cat to stay away.

 

[Bullitt]

I dont doubt that a cat can kill a chicken.... I saw what a big RIR Roo can do to a cat first hand.
Sam caught a local cat stalking a few of the chicks that were out with mom.... poor cat got blind sided by rooster feet. Neighbors were not happy about their cat getting hurt. I never said anything other than "I wonder if it messed with a possum or something."

If I were you, that would have made me angry. The neighbors allow their cat to roam on other people's property and try to kill your chickens, and then the neighbors get angry because their cat got flogged by a rooster in the rooster's yard.

Keep your cat on your property if you don't want to have a dead cat.

 

[write2caroline]

Yes, I lost some young pullets to the cats but at some point the chickens can intimidate the cats. I would close up your run and keep the cats out. Or install sprinklers,

I have cats that sleep in the coops now with the chickens. They kill rodents and snakes for me and get along fine but I don't trust them anywhere near the biddies.

Caroline

 

[Valk]

If I were you, that would have made me angry. The neighbors allow their cat to roam on other people's property and try to kill your chickens, and then the neighbors get angry because their cat got flogged by a rooster in the rooster's yard.

Keep your cat on your property if you don't want to have a dead cat.

I very much agree with you, Bullitt. Same goes for dogs.

 

[Churkenduse]

Thanks to all of you
Yes I was angry and no I cannot have Roosters. I have a dog that cases any animal that comes near but he was with me that is how I knew something was wrong I let him out and he ran and started barking causing me to go look.
I caught the cat in the act, she is very small so I think my hens would have defended themselves. I really think that was a one time thing since we have been here for years and no trouble that I saw. The cat lives petty far away and I was surprised she ventured so far off. I have a 5 foot fence around the back of my property to deter deer but she leapt over it so fast nothing could keep her out.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Thanks all of you. I love cats and I would really never kill one. I grew up with them. I might try to scare it with a pellet gun if I knew It couldn't kill it.  Cats are just another creature I our world that should be respected,  I believe that if indeed they can kill a chicken, which I now believe that might not be true, they would be doing it out of some fear or instinct.

I like my cats too. Had cats for over 40 years. Still have 6. But they aren't sweet lovable sit in your lap and purr all day pampered house type cats. They mean, dispicable, unfriendly half wild outlaw type cats that shun society & live out in the elements. I keep them a never ending pan of food in the barn so they won't be hungry & tempted to eat my chicks. I had tried to break this cat of stalking my chickens. I'd squirt her with a spray bottle & cuss her out when I caught her eyeballing my chicks and thrown her in the broody pen and let the momma hens flog on her but she was just a natural chicken killer. So when I saw it running across my yard with a screaming bitty in it's mouth I wasn't murdering Fluffy, I was culling a predator.
Rehoming is always my first choice but nobody wants adult half wild female cats.