Will Feral Cats Harm Chickens living on a farm? (kittens, eating, food)
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I am relocating some feral cats to a farm. However, the farm has chickens which are roaming freely. The feral cats will be well feed. They are being relocated from the city. Does anyone know anything about cats and chickens getting along. Since these cats are moving from downtown Chicago, they have never seen chickens before. Do you think the cats will harm the chickens? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Linda
Feral cats have been known to kill poultry even when other food sources are available. They don't follow the same rules as domesticated kitties who in my experience get along with the chickens.
Feral cats will kill anything. The chickens will need to be well-secured.
I live on a farm and while our cats are spayed, I have seen feral cats kill kittens, basically anything that moves they will catch. Other adult cats, (including pet cats).
If these are trulyferal cats, you will have a hard time doing anything with them. Honestly, I don't even know how you are going to approach them close enough to be able to corral them for transport to a country setting.
Will they kill your chickens? Absolutely! They will kill anything they can catch, for food, sport or pleasure. Why would you want feral cats around at all? These are wild animals, not pets.
Feral cats are dangerous, often carry diseases, breed rapidly and randomly, will attack humans, other animals, pets and children. Many jurisdictions encourage eradicating them, for they are truly a menace. Why do you want to do this?
Holy Smokes! I just realized that this thread is seven years old! How did this pop up at the top of the page?
I have been taking care of a truly feral cat for the past four years. I have never been able to get close to him. I did trap him a few years back and had him neutered. The clinic said that he was the wildest cat they have ever worked with. He popped up at my house when he was just a tiny thing. I started feeding him because winter was starting. I also have free range chickens and he has never bothered any of them. I can't speak for other cats, but this one would rather catch mice and eat the food that I put out for him. I've also had lots of peeps and the cat has show no interest in them. I wish I could say the same for my dogs.
I am relocating some feral cats to a farm. However, the farm has chickens which are roaming freely. The feral cats will be well feed. They are being relocated from the city. Does anyone know anything about cats and chickens getting along. Since these cats are moving from downtown Chicago, they have never seen chickens before. Do you think the cats will harm the chickens? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Linda
Feral cats are prolific killers. They are resoundly good at it. Even if they are fed, they will still hunt and kill. Its in their DNA. Any domestic stock that is within a cats size range should be kept well secured if you're going to tolerate feral cats. Personally, I won't. Yes, they will cull mice and rats, but they flat wipe out things like quail and other desirable game birds and are a disease risk as well.
They are NOT a natural part of the ecosystem, and unbalance things to the predator side. Especially if allowed to breed. Yes, I know, it just flat mean spirited to view what was once a domestic animal from a naturalistic point. Cats are kept as pets and can be so warm and fuzzy. But ferals are not Tinkerbell the housecat. They are exceedingly efficient predators, with a very strong prey drive.
People dump cats out in the rural areas here bouts at a rate that can't be controlled by trapping and neutering/spaying. Sad, yes, but that's the reality. I don't recommend tolerating feral cats around your place. Nothing good can come of it.
I have raised chickens for a couple years now. I have seen opossums in the coop (evening time) eating the chicken food (while the chickens sat there on their perch), but the opossum never messed with the chickens. So I've caught a couple opossums and got rid of them.
Several months later, we've come home to an occasional dead HEADLESS chicken. Yes, the body was there and fine, but the head was missing. I've set traps out and have caught 2 feral cats. It's hard to imagine that a cat would take a chicken head. Is this possible and likely that I have a cat(s) predator killing my chickens?
I have raised chickens for a couple years now. I have seen opossums in the coop (evening time) eating the chicken food (while the chickens sat there on their perch), but the opossum never messed with the chickens. So I've caught a couple opossums and got rid of them.
Several months later, we've come home to an occasional dead HEADLESS chicken. Yes, the body was there and fine, but the head was missing. I've set traps out and have caught 2 feral cats. It's hard to imagine that a cat would take a chicken head. Is this possible and likely that I have a cat(s) predator killing my chickens?
It is probably a feral cat. A Fox, Bobcat, or other predator would have eaten as much as the could, and/or dragged it away.
I have raised chickens for a couple years now. I have seen opossums in the coop (evening time) eating the chicken food (while the chickens sat there on their perch), but the opossum never messed with the chickens. So I've caught a couple opossums and got rid of them.
Several months later, we've come home to an occasional dead HEADLESS chicken. Yes, the body was there and fine, but the head was missing. I've set traps out and have caught 2 feral cats. It's hard to imagine that a cat would take a chicken head. Is this possible and likely that I have a cat(s) predator killing my chickens?
Not to hijack, but you could have weasels. My parents have had problems with something attacking their chickens but not eating them. They eventually found a weasel living not far from the coop. So it may be a cat, or not.
The scapegoating of feral cats in this thread is horrible. Yes, they are predators, but they are no worse than foxes, weasels, coyotes, or any other meat-eater. Also, if chickens are left out at night, sometimes owls will attack them.
The only difference between a feral cat and the cat on your lap is that the feral was born in the wild (either urban or rural) and never socialized to be with people. They aren't demons.
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Feral Cats
