? For Those with Cats...please

[AKsmama]

I would never, ever let my guard down and never give them the chance. Make sure everything is cat-proof. I brooded my chicks in a brooder in the sunroom and made sure that sucker (brooder) was tight. Any tiny little place I thought even one little cat toe could stick through, I covered over with hardware cloth. My high-prey-drive cats sure did sit there and observe the chicks a lot. The cats would look at me every once in a while like, "OK, aren't these snacks warm enough yet?"

Now that the chickens are full size the cats leave them alone (except for one that likes to run through a crowd of them when they free-range, just to see them squawk and scatter).

 

[chickerdoodle]

I had a secure lid on my brooder that a cat's paw could not fit through and kept it in a spare bedroom with a closed door for the first 2 days. I allowed the cats in the room when I was and removed them when I left. I held one of the chicks in my hand to let the cats sniff her. After the intro both my indoor only kitties just looked at them and showed no prey drive.

I then moved them into a covered dog pen with plastic chicken "wire" around it to keep the chicks from getting out of the bars and put them in the family room with the dogs to get the dogs used to them. I did have two sides of the pen sides covered with cardboard so the chicks would feel secure. Everyone gets along well--no issues. This may not be the case for everyone but security of the brooder is imperative and I had a pen inside a fence to keep it that way.

 

[rhodered10]

I had the same problem raising my chicks with 2 hunting cats in the house, i raised all 10 of my girls in a simple round metal wash tub with some plastic coated wire mesh fitted around the top for a lid it was very secure and none of my little chicks died although because it is hard to find a tub that is big enough we had to move our chicks into the coop rather early but it didnt seem to be a problem for them. good luck!!!

 

[Petej]

I have three hunt oriented cats at my place, I keep my Brooder covered and have no issues.

 

[L*A*G*]

Quote:
i love what u did with ur salad bowl!

where did u find a 150 watt? i can only find a 250 watt and it is dangerous!

 

[TreeHugger]

I have more then a few outside cats. I have a few young cats (2-3 years old) that I let follow me into the chicken house with chicks around and I know they won't bother them. My oldest cat is 13 & I wouldn't trust him around a half grown bird. Tigger will take any opportunity to get a chick snack. It all depends on the cat!

 

[LoveMyChicks2]

We have 5 cats. They go in and out through their pet door all the time. Our older hens have put them all in their place by pecking them if they come close so now none try to bother the hens. We even have a young GLW who pecked the snot (excuse the expression) out of our German Shepherd and he leaves the area whenever the roo comes close. This same roo chased one of our male cats (the only one that has not been neutered yet) out of the yard. It's hysterical. When our BR hatched her eggs she literally beat up anything that came close. So with all that said, we have no problem with the cats or dog.

 

[cabincrazyone]

This is very interesting, but I thought all cats were instinctively hunters. I suppose they could go into remission though, by watching Opra.

 

[Petej]

L*A*G* :

Quote:
i love what u did with ur salad bowl!

where did u find a 150 watt? i can only find a 250 watt and it is dangerous!

The Salad bowl and the Brooder were all built/found/procured by my FIL When he started the farm a few years ago. I thought it was ingenious myself! After not being happy with the Brooder lights that were available he decided to try something and it worked!

The 150 watt bulb is actually a bathroom fixture heat lamp. It might actually be ALOT less than 150 watts, maybe around 100? or even 90? It's really not that hot compared to the 250 watt monsters. I do have one them too, but it's reserved for outside use only.... There are no markings on it, but doesn't feel much hotter than a 100 watt light bulb....​

 

[BooBear]

As much as I love Baby and Boobear I would not trust them around wee baby chicks. They are way to rowdy and Baby loves feathered toys. He plays with his feathered toys very roughly until they are completed shredded. A chick would look like his favorite toy and I feel strongly that he would kill it.

I did brood the Silkies in the house but kept them in a room that was closed off and cat free zone. We did have to watch for when Baby would try to rush in whenever some opened the door to go in or out. Baby is very naughty that way.

Boobear is a bit more timid but still plays rough. He prefers shredding and eating all plastic objects. (yep had to rescue him from himself many times to keep him from eating dangerous plastic objects. He is very obsessed with plastic.) However, being cautious I would not trust him near baby chicks. Like Baby he was showing interest in what was being kept in the closed off room.

Better safe then sorry. Cats do have strong prey drives and you never know what will trigger it for them. On an individual level they do have their own personalities, so it is a matter of knowing your pet cat.