Rob Thomson Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Hello, This morning one of our chickens was attacked by a cat. I heard a very strange noise outside - it sounded like a sea gull but it was so close to the house I knew it must be one of the chickens - and looked out of the bedroom window to see a cat on its haunches with a chicken's wing sticking out from underneath. I've never moved so fast; sprinted down the stairs and outside and saw the cat disappearing over the fence. The chicken had gone too, making me think she'd been taken by the cat, but then I saw her on the other side of the garden looking very dishevelled. Physically she seems okay, bar some scratches on her back which bled briefly. But she's absolutely not happy, she wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink and just stands very still looking very unhappy. We went home at lunch to see how she is and found her standing exactly where we'd left her. She finally ate some mealworm from my hand which gave me some hope, but she's extremely out of sorts and we're very worried about her. Our local chicken-friendly vet couldn't see her today, but we're booked in first thing tomorrow. In the meantime is there anything we could or should do to cheer her up? Thanks, Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 She's been traumatised and may have some internal injuries Rob. Just make sure she is drinking. You may need to stand her next to the drinker to do that, if she won't go there herself. Don't worry about food. If she eats on her own that's good news. Quite unusual is a cat attack. I would have said it was either ferrel with a litter, or you have bantam chickens. Pet cats normally avoid chickens like the plague, because they can turn really nasty in a flock. Even heard of a flock of chickens attack a young fox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Thomson Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Thanks Beantree. We were surprised too. She's an ex-bat hybrid, possibly the smallest of our three, but by no means tiny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Oh poor little thing. Have you treated her scratches with purple antibac spray as cats carry some very nasty bugs and bites and scratches can easily get infected? (my mum was hospitalised following a cat bite!). Must admit my three cats were VERY wary of our little bats as those sharp pointy beaky things seemed to be a bit too formidable for them. Imagine it was either a beefy tom or a feral cat with kittens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Happened here a couple of years ago. Saw buff and black rolling on the grass with all the other girls yelling. It was a neighbour's black cat - well known for hunting. I chased her away. Thing was she'd actually gone for the cuckoo maran and thankfully all she lost was feathers on the lower part of her neck and back. She has an abundance of feathers so I think the cat had a mouthful and then the buff Sussex pounced. Do not mess with the buff Sussex! She has been back in the garden since but not touched the girls - and they are well aware when there's a cat and will yell. Strange thing is I had pekins and she didn't touch those - perhaps her eyes were bigger than her belly and then didn't realise what an angry chicken was capable of! Glad your girl is OK but I think that the vet will give her some anti b's to make sure cat bit/scratches don't go nasty. Hope she's back to her normal self soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I would put her in a box and bring her inside just in case she is in shock, bless her. Maybe try her with a little tuna? Hope she is ok and keep us posted x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 How is she doing now ? I hope she is ok. Pesky cats (I know they are not all the same) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 What a shock for her. Cat's teeth are filthy so watch out for infection. Hope she's brighter after a night's rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Thomson Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 Hello all, Thanks for your comments and kind words. We thought we were losing her yesterday evening. She was so quiet and inactive - not moving, not eating, not drinking, not talking, standing with her eyes closed, etc. Our usual chicken-friendly vet wasn't available yesterday so we took her to the local late-opening vet, and she was given some anti-inflamatories and antibiotics. She didn't seem any better, but she survived the night (in the luxury of a cosy box in the downstairs toilet) and this morning she seemed a little better, drinking a tiny amount of water and nibbling at some mealworm from my hand. This morning she's been to our usual vet for a thorough check-up, and she's been kept in for a day of R&R and observation. Thankfully the vet thinks she'll be okay once she's got over her fright. I'll keep you updated. Thanks, Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 That's good to hear I hope she continues to do well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Thomson Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Little Milly's much better now. She really perked up while at the vets yesterday and spent yesterday evening pecking her way around the garden (with us on cat-watch). She's still a bit sluggish but very much better than she was. Thanks, Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Thats great news Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 What a relief Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Thank goodness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
