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Yesterday we had a chick stolen and, presumably, killed by a neighbouring cat.
We've had problems before with this cat, but a few water bombs (near misses, I can't throw) sorted him out and he got the message that he was not to touch the girls.
Except the cat was biding his time. The girls were all roosting up in the afternoon warmth under some shrubs with Shirley and her three frizzle/silky/pekin chicks, dozing away. We heard nothing despite being only yards from them, they didn't make a single squawk or cluck. The cat just ran through, grabbed a chick and kept running. BH saw him scale the fence with the chick's wing dangling. The weren't even any feathers in the garden.
We chased it immediately, and tracked him down to a hedge that is easily 4ft thick and very dense, but no chick. With the help of a dozen neighbours we've looked high & low through all of the surrounding gardens, front & rear and still cannot find the chick, or hear it.
I know it is, but I am sick of hearing people saying 'It's only a chicken' and as a cat owner, I know that the cat was just being a cat. But it doesn't stop me from feeling that I've let the chick down.
We've reconfigured our fencing as best we can, but I'm very worried to be going away this weekend to see my Dad before he has heart surgery. There is always someone here when the girls are out, but we just aren't as quick as that cat and he's bound to come back now he knows he can catch them.
I just feel awful to be leaving the girls with even a tiny risk of danger.
Jules
We've had problems before with this cat, but a few water bombs (near misses, I can't throw) sorted him out and he got the message that he was not to touch the girls.
Except the cat was biding his time. The girls were all roosting up in the afternoon warmth under some shrubs with Shirley and her three frizzle/silky/pekin chicks, dozing away. We heard nothing despite being only yards from them, they didn't make a single squawk or cluck. The cat just ran through, grabbed a chick and kept running. BH saw him scale the fence with the chick's wing dangling. The weren't even any feathers in the garden.
We chased it immediately, and tracked him down to a hedge that is easily 4ft thick and very dense, but no chick. With the help of a dozen neighbours we've looked high & low through all of the surrounding gardens, front & rear and still cannot find the chick, or hear it.
I know it is, but I am sick of hearing people saying 'It's only a chicken' and as a cat owner, I know that the cat was just being a cat. But it doesn't stop me from feeling that I've let the chick down.
We've reconfigured our fencing as best we can, but I'm very worried to be going away this weekend to see my Dad before he has heart surgery. There is always someone here when the girls are out, but we just aren't as quick as that cat and he's bound to come back now he knows he can catch them.
I just feel awful to be leaving the girls with even a tiny risk of danger.
Jules
but given the state of these semi-feral cats, I would seriously doubt they have ever seen a vet, let alone been chipped. They aren't even pets as you can't touch them and the next door neighbour says they aren't allowed in the house. I've spoken to the RSPCA who refuse to come out to check the poor condition of these cats they are "too busy"
Whilst i appreciate the loss of any livestock or pet or birds is hard, Cats and any other, are just doing what they would as is natural. It's one thing for a farmer to shoot pigions that are decimating his crop but completley diffrent when the owner of whatever animal is distressed by the loss of it. My cats look at my mums Chooks, my neighbours dog looks at my cat both with the intention to kill, but i would never look at his dog and think, well i'll treat you like a wild, If he kills my cat!!. I've had OWNED cats killed by dogs.. it happens.
, But how do you tell if a cats that way just cause he/she hasn't got a collar on? Mine shed their collars weekley yet two are house cats and the other a mouser and theyd all run at the sight of a stranger. If a cat is never allowed in the house and cannot be approched then(it shouldn't be a pet to any one) chase it off unless your sure, and if you are sure then make sure it's leagal quarry before you pop it's cloggs
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