Will a domestic Cat have a go at Chickens ?

[Anopheles]

I have two cats and a dog and they largely ignore the chickens. I read before I first embarked on being a chicken owner that a hen would easily see off cats and dogs, and so it has proved to be. In fact the only apparent interest that my large male cat has is a certain indignation that he does not live in a beautiful bluebell-coloured penthouse in the garden ! So when they are roaming round the garden (heavily supervised by us anti-fox guards) he creeps in, climbs the ladder and cosies down.

[Eco-Chic]

I was rather hoping that my two over excitable JR/Springer dogs would 'adopt' the chooks and be like big brothers and look out for them

They're still much too excitable, although they have calmed down a little (thanks to judicious squirts of water when they get too loud and lairy).

Am now concerned they will be the sort of older brothers who torture and torment their little sisters

[lynda66]

one of my cats avoids the chooks at all costs, though he will sleep in the coop when they arent in .... the other one thinks shes their mum and rounds them up if they stray out of the garden, and keeps an eye on them constantly, very cute ... the chooks rage terror on any strange cats that come in the garden though and chase them off, i'd be more concerned that a cat can get in the run, cos basically if a cat can, a fox can ... and they wont deal with that so well.

[ChrisBNorth]

Thanks, - They had got into the run because I had left the door unlocked !, its a flimsy thing which when pushed (in this case by the cat) opens easily if not on the latch. Am in process of putting Wire netting along the bottom of the hutch and run in preparation for winter and hungry foxes.

[petal]

My cats are terrified of our chickens and our oldest cat is a ferocious beast!

[draig]

My cat is a regular hunter, the first day we had the chickens he had one out of the run. She lost a few feathers before the neigbours call us to her rescue. After that all 6 watched him if he came near and followed him so that now he cant even look at the run.

[lucylockett]

Need help

My neighbour has bantams and he lets them roost in the trees at night. We moved in 3 months ago and now have 9 bantams too which we keep in at night. Our cat has taken no interest in our chickens or the the neighbours ones until last night. The neighbour came round this morning to say the cat had killed two of them Please help! What can we do? The cat hates being kept locked up at night and the neighbour won't put the chickens inside..

[pauco]

My neighbour has bantams and he lets them roost in the trees at night. We moved in 3 months ago and now have 9 bantams too which we keep in at night. Our cat has taken no interest in our chickens or the the neighbours ones until last night. The neighbour came round this morning to say the cat had killed two of them Please help! What can we do? The cat hates being kept locked up at night and the neighbour won't put the chickens inside..

Your cat has the right to roam, as the Bantams have too roost in trees. Can your neighbour prove it's your cat that killed them??

[lucylockett]

Well he said that he went out in the night when he heard the noise and saw the cat in the tree..He is a very nice neighbour but who knows!
Do you know if a cat scarer would work (things that emit a high pitched frequency)

[chris]

Bit of a situation to be in, but surely he knows the risks of leaving his birds out over night? I'd explain that to him, and perhaps your side of it that your cat goes mad being indoors, etc... perhaps put a bell on your cat's collar.. and buy one of those infrared scarers you mention.

[Jeanied]

We had a cat that caught a pheasant once - dragged it home for the family supper. Some cats are ferocious hunters, I wouldn't trust 'em at all. However they do tend to learn if you find a way of teaching them a lesson, unlike dogs who tend to kill once and never lose the inclination.
I'm not sure the scarers work that well - the best cat deterrent is a squirt of water. Water pistols at the ready!

[polo]

We have a very determined cat round here who has attacked my hens twice now. Even with thee other 9 attacking it it still tried to corner one hen. They set up such a racket I ran out and scared the cat off and a neighbour rescued them the second time. the run is now covered! my two cats on the hand get on rather well with the hens. I woulnt trust a cat that shows too much interest after our experiences.

Lucy - I think anyone who allows their birds to roost in trees has to accept they are vulnerable to predators. I would be reluctant to restrict my cats because they were behaving as per their nature. Thats why i covered my run. Good luck!

[Hans Mum]

if he leaves them outside surely they are risk from other predators such as foxes??? I think he is being a tad unreasonable but I know you probably want to keep a good relationship with him, not sure what the answer is

[Glutton4...]

My neighbour has bantams and he lets them roost in the trees at night. We moved in 3 months ago and now have 9 bantams too which we keep in at night. Our cat has taken no interest in our chickens or the the neighbours ones until last night. The neighbour came round this morning to say the cat had killed two of them Please help! What can we do? The cat hates being kept locked up at night and the neighbour won't put the chickens inside..

Was it definitely YOUR Cat?

[RichmondHens]

I think your neighbour should be more responsible with his chickens and shut them up, away from predators. Even if it was your cat, it is only exhibiting natural cat behaviour ie hunting. Do not be pressurised into shutting your cat up, it will only make it miserable.