Nieghbour's new cat (very cute) and my call ducks...

[aduckstolemyheart]

I got lucky enough to have one cat who LOVED the ducks, and cuddled with my Pekin drake all the time. They really were adorable. And my other big cat just ignores the ducks. He shows no interest, at all. It's funny because he will stalk and kill wild birds, but knows the difference between animals who belong, and those who aren't part of the family.

We don't have a problem with stray cats and the few cats who belong to neighbors don't come near our ducks. SO I guess we've been lucky. But I have heard some posters stories about mean cats who have torn their ducks up. So it never hurts to be cautious until you see how the cat will behave once the initial fascination wears off.

Now I will tell you, the biggest problem we have with our ducks and other animals, is this one dog, who always escapes his yard and finds his way to my ducks. I caught him with my black swede in his MOUTH!

I had to grab the dog, throw him on a tie out in my yard and then call the neighbor, and inform him that he had 5 mins to arrive at my house, get his dog, or I was hauling him down the road to the shelter and reporting him.

Dog still gets out, but my faithful Saint/pyrenees mix lets me know every time and I chase that pain in the rear end dog off with rocks in a can.

 

[priss]

Oh my gosh I would go ballistic. My friend brought her dog to my house when she came to stay and her dog went for my ducks. Even though they were in the run and she couldn't get through the fencing. My ducks were so terrified I have never seen them like that before. One of them was flying away so fast she flew into the side of the hut. I so mad I grabbed that dog like a mad woman and hurled him into the house. (Didn't hurt him, I do love dogs too, but my friend had been all, ohhh my dog will never go for your ducks...our last friend to say that was correct and her dog didn't although despite that I would NEVER let them out of the run while a dog was in the garden)
Yaay for your beautiful dog protecting your ducks and yaaaaay for your cat who loves them too!
I worked in the shed today and the cat didn't come back. Guess I'll stay as close as I can until I'm sure she's not going to attack.

 

[critterranch]

if you want to scare the cat away water works good if you spray them. no i dont have pics i will this summer i just never thought about it until i started using BYC. it was normal to me. it is cute though.
well i have 3 cats plus 3 cats that are drops offs that are wild outside. my one neighbor has at least 5 cats and other neighbor has at least another 6 probly more.

i have never had a problem with them. the only thing i fence in is my goats everything else is free range. including my cats and dog
i had a hen that would charge a cat if they just looked the wrong way at them. the ducks quacking might be enough to scare the cat away. if you have alot of females. having a little house or spot the ducks can hide that the cat cant get into. maybe a little over turned crate with small opening in your garden.

 

[1duckychick]

My cats were very curious with the fluffy little creatures and would try to jump in the brooder with them. I never let them get that close so I can;t say what their intentions were. Once the ducks got full size they would charge the cats full force and give them a whap-n-peck with their bills - sent the furballs flying. There was a big neighborhood cat that would come in the yard and hang out with the ducks. She was a big lovebug and would roll around the ground while they foraged. After a week or two they would all nap in the sun together.

You never can tell.

 

[sandcat]

Funny you mentioned geese, my friend that i got my ducks from has a goose that she rescued and it protects all of her ducks ducklings better than their own mothers do, she didnt lose a single duckling last year because the goose was so protective, can go both ways i guess