My Chickens All Disappeared!

[cochinbantam-lover]

Well I'm just glad they are safe, at first I thought something really bad happened to them!!

 

[JetBlack]

Found the culprit.

The neighbor's black kitty, who looks for all the world, like mine, has just been spotted in my backyard. Chickens were everywhere. No dead ones, but every chicken was somewhere I have never seen them before. Several on the deck, two stories up. two around the corner, on the handrail, where you can't see them from the backyard. The leader, wandering the side yard. I went around the side and saw two up, on the side of the house. I held up my hands and the black bantam flew right past them, into my hair. She climbed all over my shoulders and chest.

Those claws work great on clothes! No pain, like you'd get if a cat climbed you. She just walked all over me, like I was made of Velcro. Like the mythical, rare and elusive furry Mountain Chicken, seen only in blurry photos.

The barred one stayed up there but looked like she wanted to come down. The HCIC (Head Chicken In Charge), climbed to the top of the deck and crowed (she might be a he). The barred one responded by walking to the HCIC.

I have a live trap, that might work well for the cat. Then it and I will need to have a conversation that may involve the business end of a garden hose. I think if the cat goes home a little wet (or unrecognizably soaked), it may decide to stay home and that chicken tastes better dried, in cat-food form, rather than, on the hoof.

Some of the chickens clearly enjoyed toying with the cat, but others looked fearful. The one RI that went out front, followed me to the gate on the other side of the house and walked through. That was cute. They do seem to recognize me.

I talk to them with "Psh psh psh" noises, that imitate the noises they make. But then I'm also one of those idiots who acts like they lost their mind, around kittens....

 

[geepy]

Thank gooness it was a small kitty. I came home one night and my guineas were one the roof of my house (thay never roost on the house) come to find out a bobcat was wipeing out the chicken coop. Needless to say he has never been seen again.

 

[chickintexas]

Man, you crack me up! I'm the same way with my animals/kids. I'm sure people around here seriously think I've lost my freakin' mind. Nothing like cursing your geese while they're following you around and they're complaining about one thing or another. I may be a woman but geese seem to behave like some of the women I've met in my life! LMAO!!!

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
Yeah, I decided against ducks because I thought they'd follow me everywhere. They need to get a life and leave me alone before I get a restraining order against those stalkers. "Go away duck! The judge said you can't come within 500 feet of me! I just want to be friends. No means no!" They'd still follow me around and give gardening advice... "AFLAC!"

This morning, the chickens are all in the coop. Silent though. That's weird. Usually they are discussing everything. "And then he said..." and "then she said..." and "love those toenails" and "I said 'I know!'"

I really wish I had a video of that bantam climbing all over me. It was so strange. Across my lower back, up and down my arms and across my chest. Never got caught in the shirt, or tore it or seemed uncomfortable. Just zipping all over my torso, like I had my very own feathery electron. I can imagine it thinking "NEEYOWM!" as it scurried over me. LOL!

Answer the door, for the UPS guy, with something like that going on.

 

[bakerjw]

That is one of the funniest cartoons that I've seen in a long time.

Actually trapping cats is easy. When my sister in law had some raccoon problems we baited a trap with strawberry preserves. First thing caught? One of her cats.

 

[KKatknap]

First off, OP needs to quit his day job and do stand up. And a couple of the rest of you can go with him. Like the blue-collar tour. Only with chickens. Whole thing... very funny!

Very glad it turned out ok. And I appreciate that you are only going to give kitty a nice "bath" and send him home.

 

[sourland]

Understand that if you catch the cat, soak it down and release it, You will have created a "trap-wise" animal. The problem with trap and release is that it educates predators. I have a suggestion, but I will keep it to myself. There may be something in addition to this cat that is messing with your chickens. Very humorous recounting of the story!

 

[JetBlack]

In an aside, I feel writing is my calling. I almost feel I am not using the gifts God gave me, by not being a writer. Is that a sin? It feels like one.

There are at least two books, living in my head, that need to be let out. Even emails get edited repeatedly before being sent.

Back on topic.... I found that cat, in the backyard again, when I came home from work. The cat is sort of thumbing his nose at me. This has to end, in a way that will teach the cat a lesson, without harming the cat. I'd like the cat to flinch and possibly vomit, every time it thinks of chickens for a while. I want it to have nightmares about my chickens.

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
"They're acting normal now! Just wait, one of them sings a song that I can't get out of my head. It goes 'Hello my baby, hello my darling, hello my ragtime gaaaaaal.'"

And now it's stuck in yours