Many ask Do Domestic Cats Kill Chickens because cats are natural hunters. Being a long-term chicken raiser, I have now understood the necessity of ensuring my flock is not exposed to predators.
My experience has over time taught me of numerous threats that can befall my chickens, like raccoons and foxes, hawks, and even dogs in the neighborhood.
However, one of the predators that I did not initially think about was my own domestic cat. I had never thought that a small house cat could be a serious danger to my chickens, but as I found out more, I realized that domestic cats can, in fact, kill chickens, particularly the smaller breeds, or the chicks.
Do domestic cats kill chickens? This is a question that could have come to my mind, especially when I am at home with my two cats and my two chickens.
This article will also explore domestic cat and chicken behaviors and risks, dissect the main facts that must be remembered by every chicken owner, and give some tips on what can be done to keep your flock secure.
Domestic cats are not always a threat but it is imperative to know the possible dangers and how to secure your chickens.
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Do Domestic Cats Kill Chickens?
Yes, domestic cats can kill small chickens or chicks, but they rarely attack full-grown hens.
I must say that I did not believe that this was true at first when I heard about cats attacking chickens. And, anyway, I have never considered my house cats playful animals, but not hunters.
Nevertheless, the more I researched and talked to other owners of cats, I found out that domestic cats are actually capable of killing chickens. This danger is especially pronounced to the small chicken, such as a chicken chick or bantam breed, but even a full-grown chicken may become prey to an ambitious cat.
Domestic cats, as any cat, are natural predators. They may be well-nourished and comfortable in the house but they still have something to hunt. It is not because a cat must be hungry to hunt it is part of their nature. This is to suggest that a well-fed domestic cat can stalk, hunt, and kill chickens as a sport or an instinct, and never even consider eating that bird. To other cats, hunting is an entertainment activity.
I have discovered that although a cat hardly ever kills a full-grown chicken, it is a very frequent occurrence with small chickens or chicks. Cats are very good hunters and their instincts tend to take control whenever they see a prey regardless of its size.
7 Key Facts to Know About Domestic Cats and Chickens
To further explain the reasons and how domestic cats can kill chickens, I have dissected the 7 major facts that any chicken owner ought to know. Such facts will assist you to be aware of the threats and act to save your flock.
1. Chicks are the Most Exposed
Among the most crucial things that I have learnt is that the most vulnerable to cat attacks are young chickens, particularly those that are below 6 weeks old. A domestic cat finds it easy to prey on small chicks and the bantam breeds. Since they are small, they are easy to eat by a cat, and being not familiar with predators, chicks are often caught unawares.
I have also been forced to exercise extra care with my chicks, particularly at a very tender age. They are confined in a covered brooder where they can be left until they are big enough to resist some of the bigger predators.
They can also be sure that cats cannot squeeze through the mesh of the brooder. But when chicks are old enough to go wander about with the rest of the flock, they are far more exposed.
2. Method of Attack
Domestic cats normally hunt chickens by pouncing on them at a distance with their natural hunting abilities. This is usually done when the cat will jump on top of the chicken and seizes it with their sharp nails.
A bite to the neck or to the head is one of the most prevalent ways of attack and the chicken may be incapacitated in no time. The bite of cats is not only painful, but dangerous as the saliva of cats is toxic to chickens and can lead to serious infections in case of not providing medical intervention.
Although the chicken may not be killed during the first strike, the bacteria in the saliva of the cat may cause infections that may end up killing the chicken. I have seen incidences of a chicken surviving a cat attack but dying later due to the infection of the bite of the cat.
3. Cats Hunt Not to Eat, but to Kill
One thing that amazed me is the fact that a good number of domestic cats will kill chickens not because they are hungry, but they do so as a form of sport.
Cats are instinctive hunters and hunting is in their blood. Well-fed house cats, despite having an abundance of food, can still get into predatory behavior, and chase and kill chicken in order to have fun or simply because it is instinctive.
I have also witnessed my own cats running after tiny birds in the yard, when a full bowl of food is inside. To other cats, hunting is not about satisfying any appetite but rather it is about the adventure. This implies that though your cat may not be hungry, it may become a threat to your chickens.
4. Playful or Predatory?
When only a cat is playing, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a cat playing and an actual predatory cat. Chicken may be considered as prey by domestic cats to run after and hit them, which most of the times causes harm or death. They may not even go to the extent of eating the chicken, but rather they will pounce, bat and bite it like a toy.
Actually, I have noticed it with some of the neighboring cats in my chicken coop. They will approach and even follow the chicken, pretending that they are just playing but the outcome is most of the time the death or severe injury of a chicken.
To avoid such harmless, yet risky games, it is necessary to pay a lot of attention to your cats when they are near chicken.
5. Feral Cats are a Bigger Menace
Although domestic cats may be a threat to chicken, feral cats are more deadly. Feral cats are not well-nourished and they do not have anything to hunt but to survive. This increases their likelihood of slaughtering and consuming chicken by far since they depend on hunting as their food source.
Feral cats are more aggressive in their attacks and this time they may never be deterred easily as well-fed house cat. You would have to be extra careful in securing your flock in case you live in a neighborhood where feral cats walk, particularly with small chickens or chicks.
6. Timing of Attacks
Cats are nocturnal and hence mostly active in mornings and evenings. This also coincides with the times when the chickens are either entering or leaving their coops thus these are the more risky times when there are possible attacks.
I have discovered that my fowls are the most exposed when they leave their coop in the morning, as well as when they are heading back into the coop in the evening. Cats can be hiding around and be waiting to strike the right time. When you have free-ranging chicken, you should monitor them in these periods to ensure that you are monitoring them in case of any threat.
7. Roosters Can Help Guard the Flock.
One of the good things I have learned is that a big, strong rooster may be an excellent defender of your chickens. Roosters are usually highly protective and would defend the hens in the flock against predators such as cats.
You may be luckier to keep a cat at bay with a rooster since they tend to run at the invasion of other animals in order to defend their hens. It is worth bearing in mind though that not every rooster can counter the determined cat, particularly when the cat is bigger or more ferocious. In particular, small or unprotected chicken is still vulnerable.
Why Domestic Cats Attack Chickens
The knowledge that domestic cats attack chickens has made me more aware of the risks and preventative actions. Cats are wild animals, and they have high instincts to hunt. Even fat cats will tend to hunt just because it is their instinct to hunt. They do not have to be hungry to predate and at other times, the predate is purely a sport.
Chickens are also a prey to cats since they consider them as a food. This is contributed by the fact that chickens are usually defenseless and they do not put much fight thus an easy target by a cat. This is a behavior to be noted and measures put to curb it before a cat attacks your flock.
See Also: Can Chickens Eat Bird Feed?
How to Keep Cats out of Your Flock
With this knowledge of the dangers, it is time to discuss ways of keeping your chickens safe against domestic cats. These are some of the tips which have proven to be effective in my case:
1. Secure the Coop Properly
Make sure that your coop of chicken is well secured using hardware cloth rather than chicken wire. Cats can squeeze through the poor wires and reach your chickens. Hardware cloth is a more durable material and will succeed in keeping the most determined cat at bay.
2. Adult Birds and Separate Chicks
Keep young chicks in a different brooder which is covered and inaccessible to cats. Small chicks are more prone to being attacked by cats thus this should be done to guarantee their safety.
3. Supervise Free-Ranging
In case your cats are renowned hunters, you should always watch over your chickens as they roam freely, more so at dawn and dusk when the cats are mostly in the hunting mode.
4. Size Matters
Keeping a healthy alert rooster in your flock could be seen to guard the hens against cats. Roosters are protective and will do almost anything to protect their hens in case a cat gets too near them. Nevertheless, you cannot count on the rooster to protect your chickens, and there are still more measures required.
Conclusion
Do Domestic Cats Kill Chickens can be answered simply: cats may attack small or young birds. Domestic cats may be a real danger to your chickens, especially chicks or small breeds of bantams.
Nevertheless, you can prevent attacks of cats and chicken by learning about the danger and habits of cats and chickens and then make the right precautions.
Lock up your henhouse, monitor free-range chickens and keep your chicks secure in a covered brooder. By taking the appropriate precautionary measures you will be able to keep your chickens out of the way of possible cat attacks.
Keep in mind that cats are not necessarily the largest enemies of your chickens, but it is safer than sorry. Carefully protect your flock and you will enjoy years long happy and healthy flock of chickens.
See Also: Do Owls Kill Chickens? 7 Ways to Protect Your Flock
FAQs
Do cats kill chickens at home?
Yes, domestic cats are known to kill chickens, particularly the smaller breeds or the chicks. It is however more prevalent that cats sometimes attack out of sport and not because they are hungry.
What can I do to make sure my cat does not attack my chickens?
Close your chicken coop with hardware cloth, keep chicks and adult hens apart and keep an eye on the chickens when free-ranging particularly in areas where your cat is a known predator.
Will a cat slaughter a full grown chicken?
A cat can sometimes kill a full grown chicken, although this is rare, particularly with smaller chickens, or in cases where a cat is hungry or wild.
Why is the threat of a domestic cat to chickens any different than a feral cat?
Feral cats tend to kill and consume chicken as a survival instinct and domestic cats are prone to attack as an instinct or a boredom but do not consume their prey.
What will I do to know whether my cat is chasing after chicken?
There are indications of hunting such as stalking, chasing, and pouncing of chicken. When your cat is leaving dead chickens, it most likely is having fun.
Joel Callahan is a father of two daughters in Alaska. He runs a family poultry farm and works part-time as a food department adviser. He shares simple farming tips and advice.