I'm MAD

[nzpouter]

there are a lot more chicken friendly cats waiting for adoption in shelters... no need to put up with one proven to be a hunter.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Quote:
I agree! My cats had BETTER be hunters! They have a job to do. I don't worry about them bothering my freeranging chicks...mama hen takes care of that matter. If without a mama hen, I would make sure they were secure.
No use pinning blame on anyone...just learn from it and move on.

Sorry about your loss

 

[ChksontheRun]

I truly think all cats are hunters. Ever had one of them pop up on your doorstep with a prize mouse for you to "enjoy"

I say secure the coop and have a gentle talk with your daughter about the importance of protecting the little animals that cant protect themselves. Although a painful one, it is a good learning experience. I don't know about you all, but my 20 year olds still can't seem to remember to close the doors!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...fix the door, keep the cat~he's a keeper, and teach the daughter.

 

[allanimals21]

we have a "herd" of barn cat here. none of them eat any of our chicks. Aside from the one "special" cat. Anyways that being said any cat that injurs or eats a bird here is a goner.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Quote:
That's the issue. It isn't that a cat cannot live with the birds, it is just if they can be taught not to eat the birds. Or attack them. But that is a HUGE number of birds for one cat! I would adopt out the cat to a no chicken family....... Like foxes, once they learn that the fluffy feathered thing is food it is hard to break them of it. Do you have a rooster in your batch? A grown roo can teach the cat some respect and maybe allow you to keep it.

 

[underground chickenman]

Quote:
Word of warning: Coons haven't gotten in because none has tried to. A full grown coon will toss that cinder block aside like a paper bag. You need a latch with a lock.

UGCM

 

[Dora'smom]

You didn't ask me, but I say take responsibility for a poorly secured coop and give the cat a break. Kitty did not unlatch the door, your daughter did, and left it open. The cat was an opportunist. Most predatory animals, dog, etc. would do the same. Keep the cat, but secure your animals better. Learn from this.

 

[herfrds]

Thank you everyone for your support and thoughts.

That was just the cat I found in there.
We have around 8-9 outdoor cats. They keep the mouse, mole and gopher population down. Owls, hawks, eagles and coyotes keep their population down.

Now that I have calmed down more I won't shoot them; they are from 2 of the best mousers I have ever seen.
I did have to shoot one cat a few years ago she just could not leave my young birds alone. Kept trying to get into my older house climbing the door everything. (We feed them cat food during the winter and scraps year round.) She got in one day when I was just walking out grabbed a chick and ran.

Have another outdoor cat that I once found inside the house just laying under the heat lamp next to the chicks. Found the hole she used to get in and fixed it.

Daughter is 8 and is now restricted from going into the house unless I am along.

I called a couple different places and one is getting in some birds this next week.

 

[Beekissed]

I love watching my cat stalk the chickens! It's comical and it always ends the same....he makes a dash, they scream their chicken heads off and run, and then he lies down in the grass and I just know I hear the darn cat giggle! It never gets old to me....I've actually set him on hens who breech the perimeter fencing and he rounds them up like a good cattle dog. Then he sits and gazes serenely on them as they curse him out in chickenese....

I've never seen him make an attempt at the young chicks....maybe you have too many cats competing for too little wild game?