I have 3 cats. I also have 9 chickens...my cats have spent hours throughout the summer with the chickens as in watching them from outside the run and from the garage windows (when the chickens free range). I took my smallest and mellowest cats in the run to interact with my 15-week-old chickens and he did pretty good minding his own buisnes until one of the chickens got too close and too comfortable. He started chasing the chicken, but to me it looked like he was just playing. I KNOW if I let either of my other cats out they wouldn't think twice about eating one..so I don't know what to do..it gets very tiring trying to put the cats away everytime I want to let the chickens free range. Plus the cats end up pooping in the garage...NOT GOOD!!!! If you could help me figure out a way to get them peacefully aquainted I would love it! Or tell me your experiences. Thank you!
Get them all acclimated. You have a great start. I have 4 cats. 1 started life in the woods and had to kill to survive for her first 4 months. I also have her mom that had to support kittens in the wild for 4 months. I will admit, the kitten raised in the wild has started pouncing on the chickens and ducks. No harm done. It seems to be a jealousy thing since I had to convert the cat dish on the porch rail to a chicken dish - then abandoned that idea when I saw how the cats felt about it. In short, your pet cats will only want to please you. Allow them time to interact and make appropriate corrections. At my house, everyone must get along with one another. Remain relaxed and calm and make corrections sternly but lovingly.
I had outside cats and inside cats. The outside cats knew not to mess with chickens. The inside cats wanted to chase them. I sat out in the yard and put one cat out while the chickens were free ranging (no baby chicks though). I sat with a water hose and every time the cat started to go after the chicken I squirted the cat. I never said a word. I did that with each cat multiple days and now those cats think the chickens squirt. They stay away. sharon
You're chickens should be well on their way, if not there already, to being able to fend off a cat. An adult chicken can easily kick the pants off most domestic cats, if not frighten the cat badly enough for it to change it's mind entirely about ever bothering chickens again. There are stubborn, tenacious members of every group, though. Like others have said, give them a supervised environment in which to get used to each other and be sure to give both cats and chickens treats and pets and equal attention. That way, they associate all of the interaction with positive stimuli rather than looking at each other like threats/competitors.
My cat was PETRIFIED of the baby chicks as soon as I brought the squeaky box of chicks through the door. He shook like a leaf if he heard them and wouldn't come in & out of the house through the breezeway for weeks after I brought them home. He is now just sort of fascinated with them & I think he likes the company. He is always laying in the middle of them while they range and tries to share their treats when I go out for treat time. A few days ago he went to sniff one of the hens and they all closed in around him, he turned to walk away and they came after him at a full chicken run. He barely escaped them by running through a hole in the screen porch screen. I think he knew from day one they would be big chickens who would whoop his behind.
My cat Lucius Malfoy went from predator: To prey: And yesterday, I swear, I caught him PLAYING with Trixie. Rolled on his back pawing her in the air. They're going to take away his membership card...
I had a cat here once. It wouldn't stay off my truck. It didn't want to please so no more cats here, ever.
Some cats will kill chickens some will not simple as that..... We have lost chicks and pullets to pet and stray cats in the past and have also seen terrible damage inflicted on adult hens....
