[janeheritage]

My cat Rufus is obsessed by the chickens.

He is quite a slight cat and not a hunter at all. His hunting exploits are restricted to baby birds in the fledgling season. But he seems to recognise my girls as prey and stares at them for ages, making that chittering noise of frustration that you often hear when birds/mice etc are on the wrong side of a window.

The chooks completely ignore him, and to be honest they are bigger than him. I don't think he will touch them - one of them pushed past him quite rudely the other day and he just backed off a bit to let her through. So I hope they are safe. But could he hurt them if he had a go? What are your experiences?

[Roughlee Handled]

I would say that he could hurt a chicken.  I had a cat that would bring home rabbits.
But the likelihood of him attacking one would be low after reading what you had written.  Slightly different I have two Terriers (dogs) and after introductions and supervised meetings I now no longer  have to bother with watching the dogs with the chickens as they know they should not touch them and do not.

[Vember]

I've got 6 cats ( All of mine are hunters ) and none of them bother with any of my birds. They sit and watch them sometimes but that's it. I wouldn't trust them near the chicks but they don't even bother with the bantams

If they get too close the birds give them a peck and that soon sorts them out


Sarah

 

[janeheritage]

I'd love to see him get a peck. What would that do to a cat's ego?! 

[Roughlee Handled]

When my terrier got a peck he certainly put him off chicken for tea.

[raeburg]

Since being chased by an irate broody silkie my cat has avoided the adult chickens like the plague.  The chicks are a different matter, they are obviously more small bird-like to him.

[laurabee]

Our cat started off quite excited at the prospect of chicken hunting, lots of stalking etc but the chickens now tend to chase her round the garden. Funny to watch, but a little humiliating for the cat. She's now taken to mostly ignoring them and trying to look nonchalant!