*****Kitty problems!@#$%**&^@$******

[yellowchickensmomma]

Help....

....I have a problem...today when I got home from work there was a little kitten inside my run sleeping. Of all things a kitten could do with 7 chicken she/he was soaking up the rays. I have chicken wire up around and on top of the run. Its even double on the bottom half. I dug a trench and buried some of the wire. ( I had some wild dogs get through and nearly wipe them out). The kitten doesn't seem to be hurting the chickens although I think it is eating my eggs. I only have one BO that is laying. The six golden wynadotte's that are not old enough to lay but they should lay about the end of October. I have chased that little sucker off from my coop 3 times today but it comes back. What else can I do? How old does the kitten have to be to harm my babies? Help me get the kitty!

 

[vnploveschickens]

In my experience, kitties & cats don't really bother chickens.
How old is this kitten? Why do you think that it is eating your eggs?

I'm just curious.

 

[seminolewind]

How is kitty getting in? Does she have tell-tale yolk on her mouth?
There's the humane society or a shelter-kittens find a home fast.
If you keep her, she'll probably think she's a chicken and get along with the others pretty well.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Well, I was a cat lover long before being a chicken lover, so getting the kitty is low on my list. However, I will say that my chickens are loose in my yard and the only predator of concern would be a cat. I know there is a cat around. I see them occasionally. Sometimes I even see feathers from wild doves in the yard as if the cat had a live snack there. However, they never bother my chickens. The chickens are pretty big though. I wish you luck. I know it must be scary. I wonder how the kitten is getting in.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Since you say the kitten was in the run -sleeping-, this would suggest that she is relaxed and calm around chickens; not predatory. And that she keeps coming back suggests that she has somehow gotten in her head that the chickens are her family, and they give her companionship. Perhaps you can find her a nice home or feed her and let her stay as a pet.

 

[farmerjill]

A couple of weeks ago, I moved one of my outdoor, grown, cats into the coop with my chickens. (Mixed flock, half are full-grown, others were born mid-May). He doesn't bother them at all and I can't imagine him figuring out how to eat an egg. He's there to keep the rodent population in check. (He can come and go as he pleases during the day, but he's locked up with them at night, with his own water and a litter pan). I think it's entirely possible that having a kitten living amongst the chickens would be a good thing, especially if you feed him/her to keep him from eating eggs.

 

[yellowchickensmomma]

The kitty is coming through the chicken wire. It's only doubles on the bottom 2 foot of the run. It is just a little baby. I don't mess with cats to much so I can't say exactly how old it is. If it's a baby the momma should be around somewhere right?

So you don't think I should worry about it getting my chickens?

I think it is eating the eggs because she was have them if not everyday it was every other day. She got up to everyday until this week. She hasn't laid any in 3 days. Maybe she was tired. I don't know. I just put the two together.

 

[yellowchickensmomma]

I may have to let it stay around. You say they don't bother the chickens. It's about to worry my nerves. So if I feed it, it may live happely ever after with the chickens? I will pick up some cat food when I go to town. Farmer Jill you said you put a litter pan in the coop as well. The chickens don't mess with it. I wonder if I can train the chickens to use the litter too....hmmmmmm

 

[vnploveschickens]

Where do you live? Has it been very hot? Has your layer just started laying? Maybe one of your other chickens has started eating eggs.
Chickens don't lay every single day. Are you chickens starting to molt?

 

[Katy_didnot]

Good luck with the Kitten. Hopefully you will enjoy her.