Stupid Cat!! :somad

[t_4_turtle]

My dad was trying to be nice and he built me a small coop for my 1 chicken. My chick is about 4 weeks old now and I keep (

her) inside, in a bin with food and water and pine shavings. I take (

her) out every day and we go hunting for bugs. So my dad brings over this homemade coop, I think it’s a good idea to try it out today and let my chick stay outside for more than the little bit of time we spend looking for bugs, so I come inside to get my child dressed properly for the day. Every 10 to 15 minutes I’m peeking out to see if everything is ok outside, NO IT'S NOT!!

I open the door to see a cat running off into the woods, my chick is not dead but has a big scratch or scrap or gash on the top of (

her) beak, like where the comb meets the beak, maybe some is missing? My poor chick, I picked (

her) up and cuddled with (

her) for a little bit. She seemed to enjoy that i was trying to console her and I put her back inside where it’s safe. So needless to say I need a new CAT proof coop, but what about my chick do you think I need to put something on her beak? Do you think

she will be ok? I don't know the sex or breed of my chick but I’m hoping for a girl.

I'm new to chickens as most of you can tell by how many I own **1**

 

[tammye]

flush out the wound with either a mixture of peroxide and water or salt and water, or only warm water if you can't do it without getting it in her eyes. Then put a little antibiotic ointment on it with out pain reliever in it, she should do fine, they heal well from wounds. Now that coop will not do, if a cat can get in so can a skunk, ratcoon, dog ect... also a single chick does not really do well alone, they are flock animals, could you get another chick for her to hang out with. ASAP, build a stronger more secure coop for her. chickens are great fun to have, but keeping them safe is the challenge

 

[jjthink]

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but it's your fault, not the cats. Please never EVER leave a chick unattended in a vulnerable place. It is utterly amazing that the chick wasn't carried off by one being or another.

Is the chick acting normally, as though it did not receive internal injuries? Watch it very closely. Check the poo, to make sure it's normal for the next couple of days.

You may need a bit of topical antibiotic on the wound. Hopefully there are no deep puncture wounds because topical won't do the trick in that case.

Hopefully the chick will be okay and as a result of this incident you'll know to better protect her or him. You mentioned being new to chickens - they are social beings and it's not good or fair to them to be all alone without buddies of their own kind.....

JJ

 

[t_4_turtle]

This is great advice...I will let my boyfriend know that it’s not nice to only own 1 chicken. No other injuries to my chick, the coop/run is small but the cat didn't get in. It might have swiped at my chick? Yes, lesson learned new coop and no more unattended outdoor sessions. So Neosporin? Do you want pics?

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Quote:
Neosporin or other triple antibiotic ointment without painkiller.

 

[lotzahenz]

Turtle, you can buy her a diaper and keep her comfortably in the house with you if you can't get another chick/companion. It is the cat's owner's fault for allowing a roaming cat, but that is just how it is. Her cut should heal fine. It is a shame, but roaming domestic cats kill more birds than any other predator out there. It is why I choose not to have cats anymore, though I usually like them. I love song birds and many of them are endangered thanks to uncontrolled cats. I hope your baby chick recovers and the diapers are really cute.

 

[t_4_turtle]

Pics of my injured chick...she will be ok right?

 

[Chido]

I think she will be ok. Also try to cuddle with your chick as much as oyu can. I got 3 chicks about 8 weeks ago (oh god has it been that long?), and I kinda gave up having clean carpet. I finally got two of them outside in a coop I got for them with a run, and they aren't that small anymore. the third chick is sick, and because he is much smaller than the other two (I suspect he is a bantam mix, all my chicks were "rescues," as in my neighbor lets his chicken roam the streets and we found three lost chicks on a rainy evening, with no flock in sight), I'm keeping him inside with me, and as of right now he cuddling inside my bathrobe. They need lots of cuddling, because they get lonely. I put him down on the floor, and he makes his way to my lap again.

Also keeping your chick with you will make it really tame and bond with you even more

!

 

[tammye]

she should be fine, thats a small scrape. BUT, if the cat could get close to her a ratcoon will tear the coop apart.

 

[jjthink]

Maybe you can get her 2 little buddies or if not, give her to an experienced chicken caretaker who has wee ones. She will be terribly lonely all by herself. If you do keep her without getting others she'll need lots of attention/TLC every day of her life or she will be sad.

Cats won't usually bother adult standard sized chickens but every pred is way too interested in 'chicklets'.

What are you feeding her?

JJ