Neighborhood cat question

[Binkinsmom]

Hi---I just joined this forum, and need some advice! I have a beautiful Rhode Island Red hen that I raised since she was purchased as a tiny chick at the local feed store by my impulsive teenage daughter. She is now one of our pets. She roosts in her cage, and has a coop where she lays her daily egg. She has the run of our back yard. She will hop onto your lap and cluck. She is 1 1/2 yr. old. We have a cat, who lays in the sun on top of her cage, and they get along very well. We also have two dogs, and they have no problems with our chicken.
Our new neighbors over the fence have a cat, and I have seen her in our yard, hissing at our cat. I am wondering, could a medium-sized domestic cat cause any harm to a large healthy chicken? If our pets get into the chicken's space too close, she will squawk and peck at the offender. Do cats usually attack chickens? Prior to this chicken coming to our house, I had zero experience with farm animals or chickens. Any help/advice would be appreciated!

 

[eggzettera]

You only have one!

They are a flock animal & you should have at least 2.

The neighbors cat will learn some birds fight back......

 

[rooster-red]

Unless the cat is absolutely insane from starvation, you have nothing to worry about.

Chickens are social animals, they really need to be with at least one more of their kind, so you may want to consider finding another hen as a companion.

 

[spook]

Well, I don't think you have to have any certain number of hens, she sounds loved and cared for and that is what matters AND not the question at hand.

Yes, stray cats can kill hens. I do not trust my own let alone anyone elses. You can only fence your girl into your back yard to protect her, poultry have many preditors, dogs, cats, hawks, weasles, fisher, racoons to name the general preditors. Then you have the ones that are in your state or climate, protecting her can only be the best you can do realizing that I swear nature is always working against the chicken lovers.

Good luck!

 

[Binkinsmom]

Thanks for all the help! I tried to put my hen in a flock, and she didn't integrate at all, she stayed by herself for almost a month. I learned that a chicken is a social creature, my chicken was raised around people. The chickens I put her with didn't accept her. I gladly took her back when she ran up to my daughter who went to visit her. She remembered us, hopped in my lap and clucked away. So, yes, chickens are social creatures, but be careful who you socialize them with, or you get a life long pet.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've got a pullet who constantly harasses our 2 cats. The poor cats don't "speak chicken" so they don't understand what it means when a chicken runs up with hackles up and chest bumped out.

Poor cats.

 

[mobe_45]

good thing you have an adult chicken and not a young one or quail. The cat would make a quick meal out of young chickens.

 

[nerfy]

The TNR cats I care for fear my older hens. One cat was pretty determined until he got a nasty peck right on top of the head. Never even looked at them again.

 

[newchickmom]

My 12 yr old cat had never seen a chichen before a year ago. She was in the garage when we got the chicks and I made sure she couldn't get to them but she could see them. She was curious but not aggressive. Now that they are full grown, she will lay out in the middle of the yard when they are free-ranging. They basicly ignore each other.
The only incident we have had, is when the new BOs grew to full size and one of the roos mistook her for a hen just laying there sunning (she is the same color).

It was so funny! I hadn't seen her jump that high since she was a kitten.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

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