Found a Cat in the Yard with My Chickens!!

Sunnysimplelife

Chirping
7 Years
Mar 20, 2012
186
3
93
SoCal
My Coop
My Coop
This evening we heard a loud ruckus from the chickens free ranging in our small city back yard. They have been doing this for months with no problems. Went outside and they were all huddled under the patio table with a large cat sitting on my lawn licking its paws. One of the chickens feathers were sort of askew but I could not find any wounds. Don't know if the cat tried anything or not but I have never seen this cat before and especially not in our yard. Our own two cats just ignore the chickens but in the future when the chickens are free ranging I think I will let my chihuahua out with them. She is small but would not tolerate a stray cat in the yard. How worried should I be? Can a cat take down a full grown chicken. They are five months old now but pretty darn big.
 
Usually a chicken gives a cat a peck and the cat leaves the chickens alone after that. Occasionally a feral cat will take an adult chicken but I don't think it happens often. We always have at least one cat and have never lost an adult chicken to a cat. (Now, they will kill chicks readily.) Mine have continued to be curious about the chickens but no harm done; they only get so close.
 
The behavior of your chickens tells you that yes, this cat is a threat. Feral cats will kill a full grown chicken. Surely you've watched nature programs where the cat takes down an animal many times it's size? They do so by strangle holds and serving the neck....not that hard to do with a chicken. I like to run my dogs to clear out predators around the house and yard and pasture...it can't hurt...as long as your cihauhau protects the chickens! Your hens may peck at this cat but in direct confrontation they will lose.
 
I've had cats wonder into the yard and have never posed a threat. Occasionally, the young chickens will follow a cat. Younger chickens like to chase the birds away too. Old hens don't care.
 
cats will take chickens i had a big grey male cat jump my fence where i had a breeeding pair of rhode islands and took my hen so eventually the cat kept coming till i shot it
 
Holy cow. You would think that they wouldn't go after something so big. But I guess chickens are at the bottom of the food chain. Our dog out there with them is what I am doing for now. SHe chased it off as soon as it jumped on the wall yesterday.
 
Many people believe that cats won't kill chickens. Believe me - if the cat is hungry enough it will!

My experience was with a normal sized female cat that had kittens and she would come into the garden at night at take a bird from the roost.

The cat was not a wild cat - she was friendly with people and I think she used to be a pet someone dumped. My birds used to roost on some branches under the outbuilding overhang. Now they sleep in a large metal dog cage. The cat also killed many chicks in the daytime.
 
It shows that even in the city we have predators. I was worried about the opossums and not the cats. I tell you it is a real learning curve getting used to these chickens and getting them all dialed in.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom