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- #21
Wow, I was not intending to create so much excitement when I posted this, but I guess I should have figured as much.
I love cats and have two of my own. I do not believe that keeping outdoor cats in suburbia is a good idea. As a child I lost several cats to cars/coyotes/etc and it led me to only keep indoor cats. If I had a large piece of property in a rural area, I would most likely have barn cats, but that's not a possibility here. The neighbors cats are here to stay and I am not willing to trap/turn them in for doing what comes naturally to them. And I really don't want a feud with my neighbors.
That said, they are a pest in my yard and I would like to figure out how to keep my chickens safe. We are building a coop with a run that will have 1/2" hardware cloth/wire net but they will also be free ranging while I am home. Currently, they are only 9 weeks old (max) and small enough for this cat to consider them a meal. I put them in the play yard outside during the day so they can stretch, run, eat bugs etc and I move the play yard every couple days to give them new places to scratch/demolish. At night they are in a large plywood brooder box (4' long, 3' wide, 3' tall) with a screened top. I don't know that there is anything else I can do to keep them contained/safe.
Every time I see the cat (there is only one that is obsessed with them) I spray it with the hose and literally chase it out of the yard while spraying it. But it keeps coming back. The dog will also chase it when he is outside. I will get some tennis balls and try throwing them but I have terrible aim. We also have an airsoft gun, but again, I am terrible with the aim.
I appreciate all the comments and if there is anyone else with any other ideas, please let me know!
I love cats and have two of my own. I do not believe that keeping outdoor cats in suburbia is a good idea. As a child I lost several cats to cars/coyotes/etc and it led me to only keep indoor cats. If I had a large piece of property in a rural area, I would most likely have barn cats, but that's not a possibility here. The neighbors cats are here to stay and I am not willing to trap/turn them in for doing what comes naturally to them. And I really don't want a feud with my neighbors.
That said, they are a pest in my yard and I would like to figure out how to keep my chickens safe. We are building a coop with a run that will have 1/2" hardware cloth/wire net but they will also be free ranging while I am home. Currently, they are only 9 weeks old (max) and small enough for this cat to consider them a meal. I put them in the play yard outside during the day so they can stretch, run, eat bugs etc and I move the play yard every couple days to give them new places to scratch/demolish. At night they are in a large plywood brooder box (4' long, 3' wide, 3' tall) with a screened top. I don't know that there is anything else I can do to keep them contained/safe.
Every time I see the cat (there is only one that is obsessed with them) I spray it with the hose and literally chase it out of the yard while spraying it. But it keeps coming back. The dog will also chase it when he is outside. I will get some tennis balls and try throwing them but I have terrible aim. We also have an airsoft gun, but again, I am terrible with the aim.
I appreciate all the comments and if there is anyone else with any other ideas, please let me know!
