Have you ever known a cat to kill a chicken?

[maitia17960]

I think it depends on the cat. All the barn cats around here are afraid of the chickens. They run from them. The chickens even chase them away from the cat food while they are eating. Then eat all the food. The cats just set back and watch. I have to chase the chickens so the cats will get some food.

 

[Whirlwind]

I think it depends on the cat also. I have a 20 pound scaredy cat male he is so scared of the chickens,

and a 11 pound female that tried to take down a wild turkey. Wish I would of gotten that on video. It was wild. Turkey flying, cat jumping up. Don't know what she would of done with it if she caught it.

I don't trust her around the little ones at all. She know's they are no no's but still don't trust her.

 

[ChooksChick]

I have a 28# cat that hunts and kills full-sized squirrels and bunnies.

H has also been known to kill birds, and yet he ignores my chickens. I hatch zillions of chicks each week and they often get playtime in the living room on a sheet and Weasel just sits and watches, but the tail doesn't move as if he's feeling predatory. He scares off other cats from the yard where all the big chickens are, and I've never worried a bit about them. I think it depends, though- I know a neighbor's cat is VERY interested, but really not brave enough to do anything.

 

[deb1]

Chooks. You have an adorable cat.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

I have about 9 outside cats..."leftovers" from my cat rescue days. None of them even look at a grown or 1/2 grown chicken.

They will "eye up" baby chicks but the mamma's let them know in no uncertain terms that McNuggets are off limits so all the cats do is gaze and dream

. lol.

 

[Elchick]

Yea it definitely depends on the cat. I've seen a little calico try and pick a fight with a broody hen (never came back after Coo coo got her in the eye

) and a huge tabby run terrified from one of my little three-month-old chicks.

And a tiny black neighborhood cat will eventually come down and either chase and rile up my birds for fun, or dart off like quicksilver if a hen flaps her wings. Cats are finicky, you never know with them. They have personalities all their own.

 

[spikennipper]

Put it this way I doubt that cat will be returning into the run any time soon! I think the cat was most likely curious and just watching the chickens, if it had any intention to kill them it would have already done it, most cats are weary of anything larger than a rat, there are exceptions to this but I think your chooks will be safe especially as they are not bantams.

 

[chicknmania]

We have all kinds of feral cats, our neighbor runs a cat factory. None has ever hurt a large chicken, but they are nice to have around to help with the mice and rats. We did have a feral cat kill one of our bantys; we saw it carry her away. Our two cats who live here are both afraid to get too close to the chooks, although our female cat will occasionally dust bathe with them. The pound will not "dispose of it for you". They won't accept stray animals of any kind. If they euthanize it at all, you'll be paying for it. If I were you, I'd just leave it alone, unless it actually does something. Chicks, yes, if you have chicks or a setting hen about to hatch that the cat can get to, you definitely don't want the cat around. Or move the chicks to where the cat can't get them.

 

[RedStarDaddy]

Quote:
It does depend on the cat. Mr. Cat is intently interested in the chickens, but they are not at all bashful about correcting him if he gets too personal. He doesn't stalk them; rather, he gets right in amongst them and sniffs the intoxicating scent of chicken in the round until one flaps or pecks then he scampers. Pretty Kitty, on the other hand, won't have anything to do with them and I have scars from trying to introduce her to them. And Outdoor Cat ignores them except she goes so far as to walk around them when they are on the roost and she is in the chicken house. Several people here have spoken of having chickens killed by housecats and barn cats, though, and my birds are all large fowl rather than bantys.

RSD

 

[eggraiser101]

No my cat is mean and kills little birds like robins and finches all the time. And rats and mice and lots of things like that and when it see's my chickens ( because they are free range ) And it does nothing looks and walkes because they are way to big to killed.

-Megan