[brucie]

Hi out there

I am wondering how do cats and chickens get on. I have 2 cats, and would really love to let my 4 chickens out to free range. My cats are very good hunters and I am worried about them getting my chickens, even when I am watching.

Should I let them out?

[Bodger]

What sort of chickens ? cats will take quite big chicks but not a full sized hen. Our cat doesn't bother with ours at all, so I'd virtually guarentee the safety of yours.

[Vember]

My cats (6 in total) are fine with all my birds right down to my little call ducks, never had a problem

[Foxy]

my cats tend to ignore the chickens -initially they were curious and that was about it. If anything the big ones make them a bit nervous.

I wouldn't normally leave chicks with cats although mine are fine I think they are used to them.....here is a pic with a young cochin chick  asleep thinking Grolsch was his mum!!!!these youngsters had just been rejected by their mum who was also black

[jammy]

I have 3 cats and one of them is a bit of a pain with the amount of presents she brings me to look at  :roll: but they take no notice of the chickens at all.  When I first got them the cats were a bit curious but the chickens were never frightened and now they just completely ignore each other.  Im sure yours will be fine  

[mikebucks]

My two cats were very interested in the rustling coming from the hedge and went into hunt mode but when actually confronted with the full size hen thought better of it even though they are good hunters generally!

[NormandyMary]

My three mogs just ignore the chooks, they just live and let live, always have done. Phew!

[babe]

my cats have both been to have  a nosey in the chook garden. it only takes getting to close and big peck on the nose just once

now they will go in there but just to watch, they never ever try to touch

[blulagoo]

I've finally made a temporary run for the girls and boy and let them out in it today - my hunter cat sat with his nose against the wire, swishing his tail. Then he walked off. The chickens range in age from 8 weeks (we think) to 13 weeks. I daren't leave them in the garden with him at the moment but am hoping to when they are 20  weeks +.

[Fifitrix]

I talked about this issue before because I had a horrible killer cat coming into my garden.  My own cat doesn't hunt and is petrified of the chickens!

But this cat is another thing.  He dismembers pigeons just for fun.  However 2 months on my chickens are still alive and well.  He still ventures into have a look and try his luck but they are so squawky noisy when he does come in that we always know he's there and he scarpers when we appear.

We have just clipped our chooks wings as we want to pen them off into a section of the garden - they've totally trashed the rest of it and the poo is another matter - I'm more than a little worried about how they will fare with Killer cat but am more hopeful than I was when we first got them and Killer cat was harrassing them.

[BigPaddy]

We dont have a cat but others visit to look at our Pekins with no problems. My brother has a good hunter and she sometimes likes to chill out in a nest box. This doesnt bother the chooks at all. He also reported on a riot one day in the garden. A neighboring cat had strayed into his garden, cat and chickens saw him off together! Like everyone else says they mostly ignore each other I guess they just got some kind of collective flock instinct on this occasion.

[Kiwi]

Our cats sit in the run with the chooks and case the mice away from their food   I was worried when we first got them and freaked the first time I saw one of them in with the chickens, but the chooks are completely unfazed.

I love those photos with cats and birds!

[peggyprice]

Our cat hasn't been seen in the garden once since the girls arrived - apparently he goes and sulks next door where they are nice to him and don't make him share the attention with anything else with fur or feathers