How can I have chickens in my garden AND keep my cat?

Question

My cat is about 8 years old and he's very chilled-out but an excellent hunter when he wants to be. It's not that often but occasionally he does catch a mouse or a bird (and always eats them, not just to 'play'). The thing is, I'd like to get a few chickens for my garden and some people have said that chickens can defend themselves quite well but I really don't want Stubbsy to eat them or hurt them.

So do you have any tips on introducing chickens to a garden with a cat? I mean, I may have a chicken run built but I kind of thought it would be nice if they could just run around free.

Answer 1

We have no problem with our barn cats and chickens running around together!  If you are really worried about get a rooster to protect the hens they do a awesome job! Good Luck!

Answer 2

Make sure that you get fully grown chickens rather than pullets as pullets may be small enough for you cat to attack. When you first get them, keep your cat inside for a few days while the chickens settle in then put the cat outside while you watch. If the cat seems disinterested, there should be no problem. If he stalks or attacks the chickens, yell at him and hit him with a rolled up newspaper (not hard but so that he realises you are angry) and only let him out with the chickens when you are watching until he stops. Put a few shiny bells on his collar so he can't surprise the chickens and always lock your chickens up after dark or when you're not home - dogs, foxes, birds of prey etc will be after them even if your cat isn't.

Answer 3

Get a chicken coop that's big and fully enclosed.

Answer 4

Your chickens will be eaten by everything besides your cat if you let them run free at night. You have to put chickens up safe at night.

During the day, unless you are in the middle of nowhere, dogs and other cats can get them, and then if you are waay out in the country foxes and coyotes can get them. My grandma used to say the little Bantys can take care of themselves better than most chickens because they can fly up into trees, etc. faster. They are a little more aggressive too. Their eggs are smaller, but they may be better for a small garden space. Something to think about.

It is possible for your cat to co-exist with birds. You just need to do a little cat whispering and tell Stubbsy the chickens are pets and no hunting allowed. Cats can tell that. If you pay attention to the chickens, he will get the picture that those are his chicken cousins. My cat and I stayed at a friend's who had (a really obnoxious) parrot for a month as I was moving across country. She got a pet psychic (?) to tell my cat not to hunt the parrot. Now, I'm not saying I believe this, but I was told that my cat said "ok she wouldn't hurt the parrot, unless it jumped down in front of her and started pecking at her, then she'd swat it." This caused my friend to not let the parrot out while we were there....  

Answer 5

Best of luck! It really depends on the temperament of the cat. I had chickens in my garden but they all grew up together.It is a mess after a rain, the chickens don't recognize each other and the pecking order starts all over again. That might entice your cat to chase them again, until everything settlels back down. Never a dull moment when chickens are involved!

Answer 6

Well, if you let them run free, you'll probably get other predators in your yard other than the cat.  

Generally, cats are a bit small for chicken killing, but even a large housecat would probably have trouble.  Chickens are tough birds.  They'll peck right back at the cat if he gives them trouble, and while they aren't real flyers, they can fly well enough to get a safe distance from (and scare the c**p out of) cats.  I've even seen chickens flapping their wings and charging at cats to scare them away.  Honestly, I'd be more worried about Stubbsy losing an eye that him killing a chicken.  (Don't get a rooster, those guys are VICIOUS!)

Answer 7

Keep your chooks in a pen first and slowly introduce them to your cat and see what it does, if it decides to go for it spray with water and tell it not to. But if it doesn't seem interested you can let them loose and see just watch them

I have a cat and does go for the wild birds and loves to hunt but they get along fine the cat knows not to bother the chooks, I can leave them alone running around the yard and I know he'll leave them alone.

I have both large and bantam sized chooks and it leaves the babies alone too

Answer 8

I have had both cats and chickens. When you first get the chickens let them get used to their pen. Stay outside and every time the cat comes up and looks like he wants to stalk/play/pounce just yell and clap your hands and jump around. Keep doing this and the cat gets the message very soon.

When you let the chooks roam, stand by again and repeat the yelling if they cat is going to do anything. I won't take long for the cat to realise that the chooks are off limits.

I have used this method to train four cats (at the one time) and there were no problems afterwards. Although some times the chooks would chase the cats.

Answer 9

With chickens, its best not to let them run  free, not just because of your cat but other predators, dogs, hawks, other cats etc..

but if you want them to eat the bugs in your garden  you  can maybe build a fence around it  and let the chickens out in there..

also  if you have large chickens most  of the time a cat  wont mess with them because they are pretty good at defending themselves .