Welcome, and glad you are enjoying your chickens. I'd second the part about being careful near your face. I pick mine up, but keep them away from my face.
As far as the cats, it really depends on the cat as well as the chickens. I had an older spayed female that is generally pretty easy-going and doesn't pay much attention to other animals. I introduced her to the ducks first. She ignored them pretty much until they got into the water, then she RAN from them. The ducks thought she was fun to follow around. She let them, and after watching them through a few meetings it was pretty obvious we didn't have anything to worry about.
I waited until the chickens were just about full-sized before introducing her to them. (I think chicks can be just too tempting for almost any cat.) She ignored them mostly too. They pick on her sometimes, surrounding her and making threatening noises. She will run away, or look at me with a pleading look in her eyes, begging me to pick her up and rescue her. (Funny, this is the same cat that didn't hesitate to attack the kitten when he got too big for his britches, and she also chases off stray cats. She's off like a shot after them, yowling for all she's worth.) But around the birds she is and always has been COMPLETELY laid back.
Now, we also have a kitten we rescued just before the chicks arrived. He's a young boy, getting to be a teenager now. And he just can't help himself. I "introduced" them through chicken wire. He wanted to bat at them, and I told him "NO!" and held his paws down, and I let the chickens "explore" him a little ... which meant he got a peck or two to the ears. He was terrified. I still kept him away from them, because they were not full sized.
We also had to carefully teach him "no claws" and "no bite" when he plays, or else he was too rough (with us). He learned to play gently, ALWAYS. To him, the ducks are great playmates. He loves to wrestle with them. And they are vicious little creatures anyway (3 of the 4) and looking to attack anyone else, so they attack him, and he thinks they are playing, and attacks back. No claws or biting. So far so good.
But the chickens ... sigh. Well, I think he's fine. I do watch him (watched him CONSTANTLY for the first several months). He sometimes can't help himself and has to chase a banty. He has tackled them. Never hurts them. But I do worry, because he has more developed hunting instincts. (Although he DID have a couple of chances to chase the gerbils when they escaped, and I always found him following them but never trying to catch or attack them. Maybe he understands the difference between "our" animals and things he finds.)
However, the bigger pullets have taken to coming after him sometimes. (I think this is because I chased him and yelled at him every time he stalked one or scared one, and they are taking cues from me.) He is beginning to respect them because they WILL bite him or peck him, and pretty hard too, if they don't want him close or sometimes just for no reason.
I don't know ... it really very much depends on the cat, and on the size of the chickens. The setup you have to protect them, and the time available to supervise come into play also. I think you really have to know your animals, and do it as carefully as you can, and judge the situation as it develops.
I still worry a little about my younger cat, being only a few months old he isn't 100% trustworthy.
Good luck with yours.
(Sorry for the long post, I just hoped some experiences would be helpful!)
trish
