Kirstine Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Our next-door neighbours have a new cat. It's only a teenager and has just discovered our garden. My problem is that our fr chickens are petrified of it, and since they run away and squawk the cat clearly thinks it's a game and chases them. The chooks are big enough, ugly enough and numerous enough (there are 7) to just stand up to it, if only they would! We have a few other cats in the neighbourhood. They all just ignore the chickens, and, apart from one ginger Tom (a very occasional visitor) who they seem to think is a fox, the chickens ignore the cats. How can we keep the peace here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Hi, you could try a squirt with a water pistol! Cats are so smart, it might put it off from visiting your garden. Good luck, hopefully your hens will learn to stand up to it with a bit of help from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstine Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 Thanks pbg We do want to keep on good terms with the neighbours - but I have a feeling that if we ask them they might agree to the water pistol as they are as unkeen for their cat to be bullying the chickens as we are. Kirstine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntielizzie Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I have a teenager kitten myself - Patrick - and he's very very interested in Betty and Bessie. However, whenever he starts stalking them or tries to chase them, Betty fluffs herself up really big, sort of puts her wings out and gives chase and gives him a good sqwaking at (looks quite scary ) then off he goes up the apple tree . I'm hoping that he'll grow out of it - he's definitely more frightened of them than they are of him It's like aversion therapy I think - if he gets chased and pecked enough now, he'll eventually give up (this is what I hope anyway). Hopefully this will be the same with your girls - if your neighbours kitty really gets too close, surely one of them will sort him out PS: I wouldn't mind you squirting him if he was mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House MD 221B Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 hopefully you have good neighbours, ours said we should just spray them with water if they got too interested (didn't even have to ask) funny thing is their cats are terrified of our girls. it's a completely different local black youngster cat that's a bit too keen, and he does get sprayed as cute as he is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
