Outdoor kittens?

[simplegirl1970]

I happen to have 3 kittens coming today from a neighbor. I wanted to keep them in the coop with the hay for warmth, but also for mousing.

What about diseases? Can the cats and chickens exchange sicknesses? I'm sure fleas/lice/mites can be exchanged? These cats will stay outdoors full-time (my hubby and one child are allergic). Afraid of kittens eating the chicken poop or the chickens catching an illness from the cats.

 

[Kernel Cluck]

I noticed that the terms "Outdoor Cat" and "Feral Cat" is being used interchangeably. They are really not the same. Feral cats are cats that have been raised without significant human contact and are generally afraid of people. Barn or Farm cats are cared for and sheltered by humans like the ones you see hanging around most dairy farms. You DON'T want a feral cat. Disease and probably a few dead chickens. Barn cats seems to know where the home is. Especially if you give a nice place, warm, snuggley place to sleep and eat. Go into any any hay barn and you will see tons of them. Warm and safe.

 

[chooniecat]

Just noticed how old this post is but the facts never change and current animal husbandry practices(GOOD animal care) demand ALL domestic cats(feral,stray, neighbors cats, I don't care) be spayed/neutered as NOT doing this is what is causing shelters/rescues/ferals to be in trouble. No if ands or buts. Kittens should be hard to come by and I won't back down from that. Same w/pups. And having barn cats is fine w/me as long as they are ALL spayed/neutered(good animal husbandry).And I am poor but won't allow an intact stray to stay on my property to breed and cauase more ferals to be born and cause me/the community heartache. I just had a boy kitten(semi feral) dumped(I think) on my property and he had to be euthanized as I currently don't have funds for altering. Have TNR'd appx. 30 cats in the past and will do so again when I have the funds but ya'll could help and not tout lettng kittens loose in the barn unaltered as OK. I am all FOR barn cats. I agree. They are helpful and I admire ONLY people that practice the spay/neuter of barn cats(and dogs).And btw-I see fowl are becoming victims of overbreeding also as they have become popular urban creatures. Very sad. I have bred my fowl but have managed every single one(ate the boys and process the girls when they get too old)Good luck to all wanting barn cats(acclimate them w/large dog kennel in barn/shed/wherever they will be fed) and spay/neuter ALL cats(and I have known excellent breeders but won't start on that!)

 

[Alden Chickens]

As a farm owner I know the importance of a good mouser or two but totally agree with the spay/neuter idea. The problem comes when people see a barn and dump a cat thinking it will get a good home. Farmers have budgets that don't allow for spaying a bunch of unwanted females or neutering males no matter how friendly they are. There are organizations out there that will help with the cost but there is a limit of funds. We have two barn cats that we have handled since they were very small so they are very friendly. We have to feed them in an enclosed area as a dish in the barn was just an invitation to every cat in the area to come for a meal. Once there was no food available the extras left and we are back to our own two.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Wow. This post is really, really old.

Since I started it, I guess I should update. I ended up getting two 3 month old kittens from the veggie stand down the street. Both kittens lived in the chicken coop/run with the chickens until they were old enough to neuter and do rabies shots. They then lived outside for over a year. During that year-ish, they constantly had respiratory issues. We were at the vet a lot. They had a grand time outside though and stayed out until they were full grown. At some point one of them was hit by a car. He ended up being fine, but it scared me and I moved them in the house. Once they moved inside the respiratory issues went away.

They are now five years old and have been in the house ever since. There is a neighborhood cat who likes to swing by my yard and help with chicken chores. The chickens completely ignore him and he ignores them right back. It's a happy little relationship they have going on.

Sadly, when I moved the two boys inside my coop rodent problems went up substantially. The neighborhood cat is a pacifist and won't catch rodents. I am slowly working one of the indoor boys back outside. He is unhappy inside and is much more content now that he is getting outdoor time. He is a might hunter, so hopefully he will help with rodent control. The one hit by the car shows absolutely no inclination to ever go back outside. He is living the good life and he knows it.

So there you go. I am too much of a wuss to let them be permanent outdoor cats. We are working on an indoor/outdoor arrangement, but I know it will shorten his life. I am weighing quality of life versus quantity of life right now. It's a hard decision.

Having cats around the chickens has been completely fine. I was really worried, but after a couple of good pops on the head, the cats all learned to leave them alone. I don't let them around babies, but adult chickens seem to be fine. The chickens were all brooded in the house with the cats sleeping on top of the brooder, so they have no fear of cats on their end. It has all worked out just fine.

 

[Alden Chickens]

It is amazing how those fuzzy little critters work there way into our hearts! My husband is afraid to let me know when the barn at the other farm has kittens because he is afraid I'll bring a couple more home. # in the house and two in the barn isn't enough

 

[Kernel Cluck]

I had not noticed hold old the original post was when I commented. I guess that's what happens when I go on BYC at 4 in the morning before work. I am sorry the outside cat thing didn't work. That is the always the problem. Outdoor cats, no matter how well cared for, have problems like illness and disease. Sorry about your cat being a pacifist. I have 2 like that. I don't think they would know what to do with a mouse if they caught one. Good luck to you.

 

[oldrooster]

Also if you want an outdoor cat like a barn cat look into animal rescues, there is one in my area specializeing in feral cats, they trap spat/neuter and vaccinate a feral cat much like a standard rescue or shelter would do but shelters will put down ferals because of being anti-social. but these folks will re-home these feral cats to feral cat colonies so if you want 1 or several barn cats they will help you game plan on how to set up housing (like what to use as a room in the barn for the cats to sleep in) where to feed them, and you are in essence saving a cat that would normally be euthinized.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

oldrooster, if I bring any more cats home my family will lock me up in a home. I already have five! For a brief while there were 8 in the house, but I found a home for the pregnant female that got dumped in my yard and for two of her babies. I did, of course, get suckered into keeping two of the kittens. Sigh.
My vet assures me that you have to have more than seven before you are officially a crazy cat lady. I'm still under the limit. Whew!

 

[theuglyduckling]

i think cats that use to be strays are the best cats. i have two that use to be strays and those two cats are the best at hunting down rodents. one is an inside and one is an outside. the inside one kills anything that moves insects, lizards, frogs anything except for chicks and chickens. the one outside is excellent at catching rodents i use to have a rodent problem until he showed up and he is the most friendliest cat and gets mad when you stop petting him or ignore him and dont give him attention.