Stray or Feral Cats... a threat??

[gamebirdsonly]

yes they do kill mostly young and bantams. I have lost several to cats. Forgot to add they love pegions and quail

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have, on two occasions, had large, very aggressive feral toms attempt to get at my chickens. They surely would have killed chicks or even tried a hen. Luckily they cannot get into my pens. We trapped and ended those threats.

My own cats, neighbor cats, normal pet cats, never had a problem with them and full grown chickens. I pretty much don't trust any animal with chicks.

 

[BlakesFarm]

We had a cat who we found as a kitten dumped in the woods... (why do people have to dump cats out in the country!

) We tamed her and her name was botsey and she lived on the back porch she was a verry well fed big fat cat (female), she lived outdoors on a porch and she liked to roam but would never go too far.

She would kill and bring back big rabbits twice her size for sport and to show off to us how good of a hunter she was. She would also kill squrrils, chipmunks, several mice, and other stuff she could get her claws on. She would eat some of the small game she cought. But it wasent like she killed stuff every day it was just about once a month.

She would even keep other ferral cats away, toms and other females (it was herr territory). Imagin wakeing up in the middle of the night to bumps, hissing, and loud noise on the porch. lol

By the time I got some guinea fowl I think the cat was around 11 years old and she didnt bother them (they wer free range). Right when the guinea fowl wer nearing a year old a dog came by and killed the birds and the dog chased off the cat.

And the cat was gone for over a week when we saw the cat with the neighbors (

), they keep the cat indoors now and we sometimes see the cat in their yard. When I would bring her indoors she would love it. Its been a year now and I have four chickens that get to free range about once a week (all day), when I have time to watch them. I also have four new guinea fowl that will be starting to free range in the weeks coming.

.

 

[ChickenAl]

The feral cats around here just seem to pass by and look. I have caught them approaching in a stalk, then they go away. Dogs, racoons and hawks are much more of a concern to us. Racoons probably being the worst, but so far none this year.

 

[FrankieMcElfresh]

My cat Boots lays with the chickens all the time and they all huddle up to each other and take naps LOL!