Do your cats bother the chicks/chickens?

[my4ladies]

My chicks are still little, 5 weeks old, and have to take turns with the cats. I have to keep the cats in when we open the door for the chicks, and vice versa. I have been outside with the chicks when someone has accidentally let a cat out. They stalk it and have "kill" written all over them. I've yelled at them, jumped at them...without fazing them one bit.

Will there come a time when the chickens and cats can be out together? I hope, b/c that's what I keep saying....when the chickens get older they'll defend themselves, and the cats will leave them alone. Please tell me that's right.

Oh, and 2 are bantams, 2 standard.

 

[Amyable]

This summer, when our chicks were little, one of our scaredy indoor cats came out and stalked them once. Now that they're about 4 months old, that cat doesn't even dream about going after them. I'd keep a watchful eye on the banties, but the standard birds should be fine when they grow up. Lots of stories on here about chickens kicking feline butt!

 

[Chickenaddict]

I have 2 cats, one goes outside with the chickens and the other I would never trust because of his kill instincts. The cat that goes outside prefers to hang with the chickens and chicks running around. She has even tried sitting in eggs! Never once has she ever even thought about going after a chicken however she wouldn't hesitate to kill a wild bird. I had the outdoor cat before I got into chickens and from day olds she was exposed to them, she would sneak in the brooder to lay with them. The indoor cat came from a farm with really strong hunting instincts, he would kill a chick in a minute if given the chance but a full grown bantam scares the crap out of him. All it took for him to fear the grown chickens was a peck or 2 on the head.

 

[CMV]

Unless your bantams are really tough I would never trust a cat around them.

Feral cats have been a frequent topic of discussion on this board when they have been caught cleaning out a coop. You know your cats- can they be trusted? I had a cat that I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw her. She would have attacked chickens without a second thought. She was a mighty huntress. Several other cats I have owned through the years would have been terrified of the chickens, though. It's all about the individual cat. Each cat will be different.

 

[my4ladies]

Quote:
You mean you would never trust him with chicks? So he's okay out there with them now that he's afraid of them??

I'm glad to hear there are lots of stories about chickens kicking 'feline butt', lol. I'll have to look for them.

Both of my cats kill mice daily, sometimes a chipmunk, an occasional hummingbird

This taking turns being outside is not going to work forever!

 

[Chickenaddict]

I have nothing but bantams, lots of seramas and babies and the cat outdoors never bothers them, it depends on the cat really, feral cats or strays I would never trust.

 

[my4ladies]

Quote:
Now I'm getting scared about this whole thing. I can't get rid of my cats. what! I thought it was just a matter of time before they'd be old enough to defend themselves. I was just wondering when that would be....

 

[Chickenaddict]

The indoor cat I would never trust around chicks but grown chickens he is afraid of. I had a frizzled cochin hen living in my livingroom while she was being healed for a month, sheet on the floor so she could try and walk around and the cat recieved a big peck right between his eyes and never went close to her again. I could leave her out for hours and never had a problem. The cat who spends the day outside (sasha) would never harm a chick or chicken. Like I said it depends on the cat. You could try bringing a chicken not chick to the cat holding the chicken to protect it and let the cat get close and sniff around a bit then the chicken will peck at the cat and the cat will hopefully get scared. The more exposure the cat gets to the chickens the less likely they are to go after them especially a standard size bird.

ETA both my cats are also fixed and declawed, boys have better hunting instincts then female cats IMO

 

[oesdog]

Wild cats certainly will go for a sick standard chicken - but tame pet cats usually leave them alone. - They DO however kill unprotected chicks!
Banty's I am not sure about as I have never had a banty about the cats. -

Oesdog -

 

[my4ladies]

Well that's slightly encouraging. Both of mine are female and both spayed. They have their claws though.