Tiny ferrel kitten hanging out with my girls.

[wyododge]

It depends.

If you don't want a yard full of cats in 6 months, get rid of it. If you don't mind, keep it. Most likely your chickens are ok, but it is feral, or wild. Never can tell with cats, they turn on a dime.

 

[ivan3]

If you want it around start leaving food and water at a specific location away from the chooks. Our current Black Cat (Blacktapuss) was dumped, as a tiny kitten, along with three sibs (got those three to the pound). Thought all were gone but in the dead of winter saw the fourth out eating corn that had spilled on the snow. Took about two months of feeding and otherwise ignoring until she would come up on deck and sit with us - then off to the vet to be fixed and shot-up. Chooks behave as if the cat is beneath contempt.

The turks use her for target practice if she loses focus:

That said, adult ferals are simply harvested (watched two working together - for about 15min. - `bellying' up the drainage from the road into our woods - trying to get position on the chooks - like watching lions hunting on some NatGeo program. Have a huge indoor Manx that will NEVER leave the house - stalks us/leapt from kitchen table thinking he'd land on the chooks outside on the deck - knocked himself out when he struck the sliding glass door head-on ).

 

[JodyJo]

my barn cats and chickens have grown together...they eat out of the same dishes! The cats learn their place...hurts getting pecked, they play in the run even...

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
Or, get it spayed or neutered....

 

[drumstick diva]

yes, definitely get it spayed or neutered - at this very young age I think it would grow up to be a good chicken companion.

 

[dolly85]

If you get the cat fixed you won't have problems with future kittens. I've never had a problem with cats messing with chickens young or old. Even the neighbors cats come by and watch peacefully! To feed the cat you can cut an extra small kitten size hole in an upside down box with food in the back corner. If the kitten comes back he/she will smell it and find it pretty easy. Were that kitten to come to my house it would have a permanent home! LOL

 

[packmomma]

I had a full grown cat show up and hang out with my girls. I called her my chicken coop cat. She kept the mice out of the feed. I would lock her up inside at night. I have two areas..one for chickens and one for feed and supplies..this also has my chick area...she slept there and ate good! She hangs out in the lean-to we built onto the north side now. I think it helps with snakes, mice and any other small critter trying to make homes around my girls.

 

[kara_leigh]

I have 4 stray kittens (I say stray b/c even though we live in the country, they have all been very friendly - except for one, who is now friendly after 3 months - since the beginning) that have grown up with my chickens. They showed up with their mother when they were 3 weeks old, and they are now almost 4 months old. They have learned to leave the chickens alone and have been no problem, even to my younger 10 week old chicks. The chickens have no problem keeping them in line. lol

I feed my cats at night after the chickens get locked up, and haven't had a problem with predators, so far.

If it starts to eat your chicken feed, you can always put pepper flakes or cayenne pepper powder mixed in the feed, and that should stop it. It doesn't hurt the chickens, and the other animals don't like it. My cats just have to smell it, and they turn the other way.

 

[rmh0508]

If you can catch it or live trap it you can put it in a dog crate with food litter and water. Handle it every day (use thick leather gloves or a dish towel at first) it will tame down in less then a week. I have caught and tamed several wild kitties and found homes for them after I had them spayed or neutered. I have never had one that I can't tame down and turn into a friendly barn cat or a perfectly acceptable house cat, I actually have 2 of those wild kitties in my house now.
Also since it is already around the chooks it should be fine as it grows older and be a nice companion for them. My barn cat stays in the barn with the chickens, cow, horses and rabbits and I have no problems at all and my chicks are only 2 month old Bantams so they are not that big.
I would definitely live trap it and at least get it fixed even if you do not want to tame it down. Good luck with your kitty

 

[MaureenL128]

This just happened to me too! Except that the stray kitty is about 3 years old. We feed him in the morning and at night around 5pm. I do not leave food out because I don't want to attract more cats or raccoons. He is still getting used to being around my girls and I have to supervise their time together outside of the run. But otherwise, things are great and I am getting him fixed on Friday. I love cats and I love my girls too. IMHO cats and chicks work well together. You shouldn't have a problem expecially that the kitty is so young.