The Cat Who Thinks He is a Chicken

Our cat Jaguar, who really should be named Panther, but we already had a cat named Panther and the kids were little so they named him Jaguar in spite of his lack of spots. Now that I've got that out of the way, I'll get to his peculiar behavior. Her really wants to be part of the flock.

When he was small he spent a lot of time with the flock, and was often put in with the chickens at night, because we were afraid something would get him. We live atop a mountain and there are coyotes & etc.... lurking. At the time the chickens had a large portion of the bottom of our old bank-barn as their home. It was secure, so the kittens often went there.

At first the chickens were afraid of Jaguar, but not for long. They soon looked at him as a small wingless brethren. They treated him just like any other smaller fowl would be treated. If Jaguar was sharing in the chicken scraps (clean leftovers from our kitchen) and a hen wanted what he had, he got a peck on the head and moved away. The same happened when he would drink from the chicken waterer. Even when he was fully grown and quite able to dispatch his feathered friends, he deferred to them, and he still does.

He loves to be among the chickens. When they are out in the yard he's usually out there with them, sunning himself and enjoying their company. Or as pictured if they are in the cow barn scratching around he's nearby.