Dinkychick Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I just wanted to ask about how chickens would deal with a cat? The neighbours have one and its taken to watching them...first it was amongst the bushes whilst they were in their run, then yesterday it was whilst they were out free-ranging from on top of the garage roof. neither of which they liked much. nor i! They haven't been allowed out today which they are not pleased with but i cant face standing out in the rain with them. Does anyone know what would happen if the cat did decide to venture closer.... would they fend it off or would nasty things happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 we have 9 cats and to be honest a pec from a chicken and they run a mile, they now avoid them if out side, and will watch from a distance, but we still watch carefully, as im suppose one day they will get brave , but all the chickes seem to form a pack when they do get close, so a cat to say 3-4 chickens my cat backs down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I have seven cats and only one has ever been brave enough to set foot in the garden with the chickens. A big gang of them then chased her out We have three dogs and the unwritten rule amongst the animals was that cats can use the front of the house, the dogs the back so it was just by chance Ruby (adventurous cat) spotted them there. My chickens are very territorial and they'll also chase my dogs if they happen to be the wrong side of the Omlet netting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kez Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have 3 cats from around the neighbourhood which dare to visit. 2 of them just sit on the fence watching the chooks, and the chooks just go about their business. The third cat likes to try it on. He'll stalk them - they'll ignore him. Every now and again he'll pounce towards them , Liberty just looks at him and Melody legs it down the garden making such an awful din, it scares him off. No mishaps though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We live in a very 'catty' neighbourhood, and I have a cat of my own. I have never had any trouble, My cat avoids the chooks and tends to wait for someone to open the front door rather than venture through the cat flap when the chooks are in the garden. the other cats have learned that the chickens will chase them off, after making a terrible din first, if they venture into the garden...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenstuds Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have a very similar concern. Got our chickens three weeks ago and whilst they've been out a few times in the garden it's always been under our supervision due to concerns about the cat. She's clearly trying to decide whether or not to go for them - kind of semi-stalks them and has run at them a couple of times only to think better of it at last minute. We're a bit concerned as she's a rescue cat and clearly has some streetfighting skills. She regularly kills birds and has even brought in pigeons so she's ballsier than most. Should we just see how it goes or can we do anything to disuade cat from having a go? And who'd come off worse if that did happen? Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 My neighbour's cat gives the hens a very wide berth. He learned the hard way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the eggman cometh Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 we got 4 cats, and any tome one of them enters the back garden when the chooks are out, they gang up and chase the cat. its quite funny to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 i'd be surprised if the cats were a problem. mine ignores them and there are not so many cats in the garden since they have been here, i think they hold their own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 One of my cats left the chickens alone from day one and they tolerate each other fine. The other cat stalked the chickens constantly from the first day until the brahmas caught him and ran up the garden attached to his fur. He hasn't been near the chickens since, even avoiding going out of the back door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smanners Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have 8 cats and they like to chicken watch from the window We have one who pretends to stalk them but if he gets too close a batch of pecking hens chase him up the garden The rest are absolutlely terrified of the girls and give them the widest berth possible, which involves checking where they are are running as fast as you can to the safety of the cat flap and house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Just keep an eye on the cat for now. Eventually it will make a move, they can't resist, but the chickens will them sort it out. My 3 girls managed to chase one of my cats up a tree in the garden and kept circling round the trunk so she couldn't come back down again . She now keeps a more respectful distance . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Same as everybody elses. Link (youngest cat) walked all over the eglu run when the girls were first in there but not any more! He gives them a wide berth as do the other 2 cats, they do the mad run up and down the garden to get past them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have three bantams and a cat, Poppy. They arrived when they were about 8 weeks old so were very small. Poppy thought they were fair game so stalked around the eglu, sat on top etc at every opportunity although we chased her away. However, when they grew up and started free ranging all changed! Last week, Phillipa, who is the smallest bantam, spotted Poppy about 20 yds away, charged at her, and cornered her with the cat's back to the wall of the garden. The cat had nowhere to go and was obviously terrified! I had to intervene to stop a bloodbath - the cat being the victim! Poppy now gives them a wide berth or walks past pretending she hasn't seen them! I'd back a chicken, even a small bantam, against a cat any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 My 2 cats are petrified and haven't ventured outside since I got the chooks yet they will terrorise my DD's staffie x boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I would back the chickens any time, Jenstuds! The cat will keep trying to stalk them, then one day it won't be able to resist having a go. Trust me, it will get the shock of its life and never try again! My cat is also a rescue cat with a bit of rough-sleeping history, a real fighter and loves to hunt. He had one attempt at launching himself towards them, and got chased down the garden by a large flapping ginger pterodactyl, now he is terrified of them and won't go out if they are free-ranging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Kettle Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 My cat is a rat catcher of distinction. When the chickens arrived he stalked them. He pounced. He retreated hurt and now affects complete ignorance of any chickens. Somebody once told me that chickens are not scared of cats because they are taller than them. Whether it's misplaced confidence or not, I have never seen any of our neighbourhood cats treat our chickens with anything less than extreme caution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Hi, I have four cats. Initially they were interested and stalked, and even rushed at the hens. My cats never did any more than that as the hens stood their ground or totally ignored the cats. I think the cats soon realised that the hens were larger than their average mouse or starling! Neighbours' cats also come into our garden for a look, but we've had absolutely no trouble at all. On the plus side, the cats may help keep mice, etc. away from your garden. Saronne Paris Nicole Dorothy Germaine Jordan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 We have two cats - both are indoor cats and love watching the cat TV that chickens provide out the window. One of them is terrified and on rare occasions she dares to go outside, keeps well away but loves watching them. Ruby, my braver Ragdoll has had a little pounce, but her pouncing skills are not finely honed and she ends up jumping about a foot in front - as though to say 'hello, play with me'. I have caught her behind Regan pawing her tail (again, oooh can I play with it) so they all live in relative harmony. The only minor issue is Ruby has been in their runa nd I think quite fancies curling up in the nestbox, only problem was Lottie was in there having a bit of lay time - and Ruby got told off very sharply. I;m actually quite amazed at how chilled the hens are with all their visitors to the garden, squirrels, pigeons, even a parakeet and loads of wild birds - it's a right animal sanctuary there - and what surprised me most is that be it a squirrel or a cat or a big green parakeet the hens show no fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
