How to stop chickens from chasing our cat!

[serenden]

Well, I seem to have the opposite problem of many others: our chickens chase our cat too much!

Our cat is not able to enjoy our backyard now that we have 4 chickens - they actively seek out the cat to chase him off, even if he's on the other side of the yard! It happens at least a handful of times over the course of, say, an hour. The chickens are just 10 weeks old and have never been chased by the cat. The cat watched them with curiosity at first, and they would come right up to him until he meowed and ran away (he's kind of a soft-hearted guy!)

The cat is our only other pet, we've had him for 5 years and he's a part of our family! We're not okay with him being unable to hang out with us in the yard. So we are thinking we'll need to keep the chickens in their smallish run more often. Which is a bummer.

Has anyone had any success conditioning chickens not to do something?! Or any tips? It's great that they defend themselves against a possible predator! Just wish it wasn't a more peaceful coexistence with our kitty He really is so unlikely to ever harm them. He's too scared, now!

Thanks for any advice!!

 

[serenden]

Well, I just want to add that I found this article, and I'm thinking maybe the cat gets chased precisely because he runs -- the chicken sees that she(?) can dominate the cat.
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/aggressive-chickens-behavior-tips/

 

[chikns]

Yes, your cat should show that he's not scared of your chickens. If your chickens see the cat from a safe distance (like see him when they're in their run) they should get accustomed to him

 

[serenden]

Well it's funny because when the chicks were in the brooder in our house, the cat would be there, purring and watching every day. I thought they were used to him. The chasing has only started in the last week or two, as if they're feeling older and more confident now.

I'm imagining holding my cat's paws up to them to make him look more fierce,