Why do they like this particular spot so much?

[StephTheChicken]

Hello

I have a bit of an odd problem. My 3 new chickens (they're around 15 weeks old) seem to have a new favourite spot where they sit all day. It's right outside the cat flap and now my cat's too scared to go out into the garden. They sit on the door mat that's on top a few paving slabs (the cat flap is too high up for the cat so I put them there for his convenience).

I have a roost in the garden but they never sat on it. In the beginning they used to sit under the bush all the time.

Is it the door mat they like? Do they just like to get off the grass sometimes? Are they too young to roost but prefer being a little higher up?

If I can figure out what it is about this particular spot then I can recreate it somewhere else in the garden and my cat will have his freedom back

This was yesterday which was pretty funny...

...but then this morning I came into the kitchen to this sad little kitty-face.

 

[BonDEEroo]

Poor puss! I think they enjoy dominating your cat!
The same thing happened with our old Maltese/Shih Tzu cross - the hens controlled her access to the house and bullied her mercilessly, until we just stopped letting them have access to the back door.
The solution may be just to shoo the chickens away whenever you see them there. Definitely don't feed them there!

 

[StephTheChicken]

Poor puss! I think they enjoy dominating your cat!
The same thing happened with our old Maltese/Shih Tzu cross - the hens controlled her access to the house and bullied her mercilessly, until we just stopped letting them have access to the back door.
The solution may be just to shoo the chickens away whenever you see them there. Definitely don't feed them there!

Oh no! Nobody likes a bully! I didn't want to shoo them away because they've only been here for 10 days and I want them to feel safe but if they're just being mean then I have no other choice. Thank you for your input!

 

[BonDEEroo]

I may be wrong, but just look at the way the grey one is eyeballing the cat through the cat flap in the first photo ... I think they feel VERY safe with your cat!

 

[StephTheChicken]

I may be wrong, but just look at the way the grey one is eyeballing the cat through the cat flap in the first photo ... I think they feel VERY safe with your cat!

They do feel very safe around him. He's a very calm cat and hasn't shown much interest in them since day one (hence hasn't stood his ground I guess or intimidated them in any way).

I kind of got the impression they like him because every time he went into the garden they came out from under the bush. They never attacked him or anything though, they just follow him around a little and seem curious about what he does. But then again I'm completely new to chickens and am still learning about their behaviour so I probably misread the signs.

 

[BonDEEroo]

Chickens can be pretty intimidating to other small animals, especially kind ones like your cat. I've heard their brains process visual signals about 5 times faster than ours, so they've got an incredible reaction time, plus a sharp hard beak which they know how to use to good effect. It takes them about a week to settle into a new home and sort out where everyone fits in the pecking order - you are at the top, they are in between and the poor cat looks like he's at the bottom.

 

[StephTheChicken]

Chickens can be pretty intimidating to other small animals, especially kind ones like your cat. I've heard their brains process visual signals about 5 times faster than ours, so they've got an incredible reaction time, plus a sharp hard beak which they know how to use to good effect. It takes them about a week to settle into a new home and sort out where everyone fits in the pecking order - you are at the top, they are in between and the poor cat looks like he's at the bottom.

Poor little kitty! I didn't think he'd be part of the pecking order. Hopefully it's not too late to teach them a little respect.

 

[User395221]

I shouldn't laugh. Puss will "toughen up" when he decides he wants "out" more than fearing his "groupies".

My chooks used to hang around the back door/cat flap. They knew it was where I came out and they knew it was where their dogs and cats "brothers and sisters" went in to get dinner. They haven't been doing it as much since we've had some decent rain and there are lots of bugs around and about to scratch up. In summer, there they'll be, parked outside, hoping they'll be included when I call in the others for their tucker (or something, who knows what they are thinking?).

Does puss have particular times he likes to go out to "do his business"? I'd start going out and distracting the girls with some mealworms/treats flung up the other end of the yard so puss can sneak out. (it'll also hopefully start training the chooks that hanging about up the other end of the yard might result in goodies)

 

[StephTheChicken]

I shouldn't laugh. Puss will "toughen up" when he decides he wants "out" more than fearing his "groupies".

My chooks used to hang around the back door/cat flap. They knew it was where I came out and they knew it was where their dogs and cats "brothers and sisters" went in to get dinner. They haven't been doing it as much since we've had some decent rain and there are lots of bugs around and about to scratch up. In summer, there they'll be, parked outside, hoping they'll be included when I call in the others for their tucker (or something, who knows what they are thinking?).

Does puss have particular times he likes to go out to "do his business"? I'd start going out and distracting the girls with some mealworms/treats flung up the other end of the yard so puss can sneak out. (it'll also hopefully start training the chooks that hanging about up the other end of the yard might result in goodies)

I'm not sure, he's not the type to toughen up haha.. He's really very gentle and passive. When I first got him from the shelter I even took him to the vet because I thought he was ill but turns out he's just a super chilled out cat.

The other problem is the chickens aren't interested in treats or at least I haven't found the right one yet so I don't know how to lure them away really.

I actually just came back here to post an update. I heard a strange noise from the kitchen just now so went to have a look. The chickens were pecking at the cat flap. The cat wasn't even there. Could it be that they saw him use the cat flap and are trying to get into the house that way? Yesterday I had to get them back out of the kitchen when I left the door open.

I opened the flap to shoo them off but instead they stuck their heads in and looked at me!

 

[User395221]

Could it be that they saw him use the cat flap and are trying to get into the house that way?

I'm no chook expert, but from my observations, definitely. I'm sure my girls hang around outside the door because they want to come inside. They'll definitely march in if I leave the door open (the auto-closer is broken at the moment). It could be because they are flock animals and want to join the rest of "their flock", chum up with everyone else in their household.

Also, your girls are very young and they've just joined your household. They could be thinking that you/your cat are their "mum" and trying to stick close to "keep safe". They should develop more independence as they get older (hopefully - just get used to the chooks doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things that'll have you scratching your head".