I took my kitten/cat and stuck her in with the chickens and then the rabbits to scare her so she would leave them alone. Do you think this will work in the long run. I am still afraid to put her out unattended, we have rather babied her, she is very sweet but I do not want any dead chicks or bunnies either! Of course there is still that mouse in the house she has not caught....

Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), July 30, 2001

Answers

Full size rabbits and chickens are little intimidating to the average house cat. I've watched one of our cats stalking the hens, but they just don't put up with it. Those flapping wings can really hurt. It's not like a little robin. Not sure about the rabbits. They are pretty timid and tend to just freeze if they think something is going to eat them. The cat might learn they are too easy.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 31, 2001.

Depends on the rabbit. We had one, known as Fuzz the Killer Rabbit, who would take on dogs that got too snoopy. If you have a brave and bold rabbit, that is the one to introduce kitty to the world of rabbits.

I have pet birds, including a parrot. One cat has been terrified to go in the bird room since the day I got him. The other cat was fascinated until the parrot nipped her foot. Now she wants nothing to do with that biting monster either. The previous [now deceased] cat was convinced the bird was a killer too, after the parrot bit him -- and he was an excellent hunter and a fearless fighter of other cats. So, yes, they CAN learn from negative experience.

My sister's friend had a parakeet and a cat. The cat was stalking the parakeet, trying to get into it's cage. Something fell off the cage onto the cat, who never again would venture near the cage. So, if you can arrange for something "bad" to happen to the cat when investigating the rabbits, it will probably make a lasting impression. Of course, you need to make sure it's nothing that will injure either the cat or the rabbit, and that the cat doesn't realize that you are responsible for whatever it was.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), July 31, 2001.

I let me rabbits run in a rabbit yard once in awhile,, also let my cats in there at times. They used to "play" together,,till one big doe started to toss the cqats around,, cats wont even go in there when the rabbbits are

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 31, 2001.

My cats are good with adult rabbits and chickens, but have gotten baby bunnies before. For some reason they don't bother little chicks, just bunnies. It definitely depends on the cat.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), July 31, 2001.

If your kitten is young enough, keep her in with the chickens and rabbits as much as you can. Kittens will "imprint" on whatever animals they grow up with and then won't bother them. There have been kittens raised with guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, etc.; they get the notion that these creatures are "family" and not "prey". Don't do the scare tactic, that will just reinforce "enemy" at this stage.

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), July 31, 2001.

cats are natural hunters and instinct is a strong motivator.Your cat might(big "might")learn to leave a certain animal alone but that won't protect the rest. Also, outdoor cats are efficient killers of many other helpful critters along with songbirds. I guess you just have to decide what it is you want. If you want to protect other baby animals keep the cat in, if not, let it out. I have always built nice cat runs for my cats and they have never been allowed to run loose except when taking walks with me. This was for their protection and the other critters around.

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), July 31, 2001.

If the rabbits are "up" somehow (on a shelf or off the ground in some manner), you could arrange a bucket of ice water that would be set somehow to tip when kitty curiously tried to climb or stand up against the post to inspect the bunnies. Some sort of trip lever comes to mind - cat steps on loose board which tips over bucket. Big dose of ice water is the best cat deterent in the world, and you're nowhere nearby to be blamed.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), July 31, 2001.

I don't know,our house cats bring n wild baby bunnies sometimes,but they have never bothered any stock.We have had baby possum,ferrets,guineaus and coons in the house and they don't bother them.But my friend has cats that wait for the momma ducks to leave the nest and grab those ducklings.Guess you've gotta keep them fed enough to leave stuff alone but not well fed enough to ignore mice????:)

-- teri (dnsmacbeth@aol.com), July 31, 2001.

I think you have done the right thing by 'babying' her. that cat should understand your tone of voice and commands. My monsters [feline] are all vicious,efficent hunters. They all were ready to worship me when i brought in a box of goslings from an unexpected cold snap. I let one gosling out and chastised any cat that stalked it. Most got the picture 'that the birds belonged to mom' a couple had to have the lesson repeated more forcfully. None have forgiven me that those tasty balls of fluff grew up to be big 'ol tail nipping geese!

-- bj pepper (pepper.pepper@excite.com), July 31, 2001.

Thank you for all the answers! We did have a cat hanging around here, not ours, that was eating our baby bunnies. Some of our bunnies run loose on the place. I do not think the cat's owner was feeding her. I know it's the law of the animal kingdom, but there is something about a baby animal not having a fighting chance that is so sad to see! Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), August 03, 2001.

We have several barn cats, and they leave the adult poultry strictly alone. Newly hatched birds are apparently considered delicacies, but I have a few areas that I can confine the momma and peeps until they are big enough for the cats to lose interest in them. At one point we had rabbits as well, and the cats didn't bother the adults at all. The do like the little ones, though.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), August 04, 2001.

My experience is like Teri's, although I've had a cat pounce on a full-sized rabbit also. I think, like a dog, the cat needs to know rabbits are part of the family. I thought the reason my cat was on the roof of the rabbit hutch was she was trying to find a way to get dinner, until the rabbit got loose. The rabbit wouldn't let me near it, but it chased the cat all through the woodlot. Maybe she got out to get the cat back?

-- Gwen (ggiffen@1st.net), August 05, 2001.