Stray cats

[jsjacobs23]

So, I'd had my two hens for a couple weeks I a tractor coop that I thought was fairly secure. It has a slanted roof that is also my door. At its largest, there is about a 3-4 inch gap, which I thought would be great for a little built-in ventilation. However, in less than a week a stray cat got both my hens. Now, it comes and hangs out in the backyard and looks in our backdoor--we have two cats so they hiss at each other.
Obviously, I'm not going to get more hens until I secure the coop.
But what can I do to deter this cat from coming around? My wife also says it's two cats and they look just alike.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Set a trap and dispose of them.
If you're in a urban/suburban area, call animal control.
Call animal control or the sheriff anyway and report the loss of livestock to the strays.

All gaps 1" or larger need to be covered with hardware cloth or you'll lose chickens.
Tiny gaps after many years of no problems caused me to lose over 40 chickens this week to weasels.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So, I'd had my two hens for a couple weeks I a tractor coop that I thought was fairly secure. It has a slanted roof that is also my door. At its largest, there is about a 3-4 inch gap, which I thought would be great for a little built-in ventilation. However, in less than a week a stray cat got both my hens. Now, it comes and hangs out in the backyard and looks in our backdoor--we have two cats so they hiss at each other.
Obviously, I'm not going to get more hens until I secure the coop.
But what can I do to deter this cat from coming around? My wife also says it's two cats and they look just alike.

Get a live trap, catch the cat, call Animal Control to collect it.
Definitely close up the gap with some hardware cloth - many predators can take advantage of gaps as small as 1 inch, so 3-4 inches is just asking for trouble. Hardware cloth will keep predators out but allow air flow to continue because ventilation is important.

 

[FishaRneKed]

go outside and thorw stuff at it every time you see it.

It may take a few times

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've tried that for years - with the same cat. It still came back several times a week. It would just run when it saw me.

 

[6of6chicks]

Since you asked about deterrent (rather than best gun to shoot it), this might help. I had trouble with my neighbor's cat wreaking havoc in my garden. There was no way I could trap it or call animal control because I genuinely like my neighbor and she is nutso about her cat. I didn't want to break her heart or start a neighbor war. So I went the herbal route. I don't want to get in trouble with a moderator, so here's the plant:

http://www.richters.com/Web_store/w...490&show=&prodclass=Herb_and_Vegetable_Plants

Yes, that's actually the name of the plant. It's really funny to go to a gardener's association herb sale and have sweet looking grandma holler that you're buying three "___-___ plants!"

Worked like a charm. The cat wouldn't go near any of the beds that had that plant in them. I ended up putting it everywhere and the cat hasn't been back since.

Another herbal route is lavender and citrus - they don't like those either. From what I understand orange oil is non-toxic for birds, and doing a light spray around the outside of the coop might be helpful. You could also sprinkle dried lavender and citrus peels where the cat frequents. I wouldn't put any of this IN the coop, but it might help deter the cat from skulking around outside.

Good luck!

 

[Folly's place]

Maybe it was the cat, maybe someone else. In any case, live trap and eliminate the predator. And secure your coop better before any more birds move in. Nice cats can go to a rescue or humane society. I don't have feral cats here if I can trap them. Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Since you asked about deterrent (rather than best gun to shoot it), this might help. I had trouble with my neighbor's cat wreaking havoc in my garden. There was no way I could trap it or call animal control because I genuinely like my neighbor and she is nutso about her cat. I didn't want to break her heart or start a neighbor war. So I went the herbal route. I don't want to get in trouble with a moderator, so here's the plant:

http://www.richters.com/Web_store/w...490&show=&prodclass=Herb_and_Vegetable_Plants

Yes, that's actually the name of the plant. It's really funny to go to a gardener's association herb sale and have sweet looking grandma holler that you're buying three "___-___ plants!"

Worked like a charm. The cat wouldn't go near any of the beds that had that plant in them. I ended up putting it everywhere and the cat hasn't been back since.

Another herbal route is lavender and citrus - they don't like those either. From what I understand orange oil is non-toxic for birds, and doing a light spray around the outside of the coop might be helpful. You could also sprinkle dried lavender and citrus peels where the cat frequents. I wouldn't put any of this IN the coop, but it might help deter the cat from skulking around outside.

Good luck!

I like herbal. I wish there were herbs that would deter weasels.

As for nice people that are nutso about their cats. Why do they let them roam to be run over by cars, get in fights with other cats and killed by coyotes or bitten by rats in the sewers they inevitably frequent?

 

[6of6chicks]

I like herbal. I wish there were herbs that would deter weasels.

As for nice people that are nutso about their cats. Why do they let them roam to be run over by cars, get in fights with other cats and killed by coyotes or bitten by rats in the sewers they inevitably frequent?

Ahhh - that's a great question, in my opinion. I'm a dog person (no cats), but I'm nutso about my dogs. That's one of the reasons my neighbor and I get along so well is because we share the same attitude about our animals. My life revolves around my dogs. I know lots of people won't understand that (so please don't jump on me), but it really does. My girls are chipped & tagged, are NEVER left outside when I'm not home (EVER), are highly trained, and have better medical/dental care than I do. There are dog beds & toys in every room and I cook small organic meals of meats & veggies to stir into their high-quality dry food every day. They are inspected, brushed, played with, snuggled with, kissed, pampered, and loved every day. They are family. So when I say nutso, I really mean it!

My neighbor is the same way about her animals, including the cat. And yet she lets it roam. There have been many times I've called her and let her know the coyotes are in the field next door again, just so she'll keep the cat inside. She just strongly believes that cats need to roam around outside to be happy. Just like dogs need to run and chickens need to roll around in dirt - it's part of who they are. Do I agree with the roaming bit? NO. No + a whole lot of expletives. But she's doing what she believes her cat needs and I can't change her mind.

And yes, that annoying little bugger kept destroying my garden. I give my neighbor buckets of free produce a month, and even then I didn't complain, because it was more important to me to keep a good relationship than to trap her cat. It's also one of the reasons I built a fortress for a coop & run. Her cat is right up there on the list of predators I have to deal with. I'll happily blast the cat with the hose if I catch him lurking around, but I won't break her heart by actually hurting it.

Thus the herbal deterrents. I was probably more surprised than the cat that they actually worked, but they did. Haven't seen him in a very long time. (Oh, and he's alive & kickin' - I would have heard all about it from my neighbor if something had gotten him!).

 

[ChickenCanoe]

And I wonder, if someone's cat disappears, (perhaps run over by a car or killed by another animal) do they go out and get another cat, let it roam outside to be endangered again and still think they're doing the right thing for the animal they love so much?

"She just strongly believes that cats need to roam around outside to be happy"

The native songbirds and lizards strongly believe they need the housecat confined to the house for them to be happy.