Can cats and chickens be friends?

Hello!

I have been living abroad for awhile/travelling, but when I return home I am planning to adopt a cat, and some chickees at the same time. I'll be living in the city, so I'm planning on having "urban" chickens. Probably 2-3 that will live in my backyard in a cozy little coop. I'd like to have a cat that can be friends with the chickens, and possibly even protect them from other neighborhood predators.

I know there are a few people on the site who have farms, and I'm especially wondering what their experience is with barn cats and other farm animals being friends?

Is it possible for the two to become friends, or will a cat's carnal instincts get the best of them?

Cats can learn to ignore chickens, though usually on farms there aren't unattended chicks running around. If you've never had a mother hen after you, then you probably won't get why chicks are usually left alone...

A cat can never actually be "friends" with anything that is small and fast moving. Cats are predators and have natural instincts, even if some cats seem to have about as much instincts has a block of wood they're still there (hence why cats play with toys).

Keep them apart and make sure the chickens are probably contained to protect them from other predators.

I had a cat 4 years ago.. when she was very young..3 months or so..& a friend of ours gave us 13 Buff chickens..all were young..I had the cat help me "herd" the chickens out of the corn. She did a real good job of it & never hurt a bird..on the other hand..the one hen we had had 4 chicks & she would go after the cats like crazy..

In a city you may need to worry about rats more than cats. In any case, in a city, would you want your cat to be roaming the great outdoors?? We are rehoming my GF's outdoor cat when she moves here (Baltimore City) because I am afraid to have an outdoor cat here... too many bad things could happen.

If I were going to keep chickens, I'd make certain that I had a secure coop and a wire mesh pen with wire small enough to keep rats out.

The barn I ride at has tons of chickens that roam around and we also have barn cats, chicks only really have to worry about the Peacocks trying to eat them. Cats dont even acknowledge them really. And yes momma chickens are crazy!! I have been attacked more than once by one when i was just trying to get by lol I agree make sure you get a really secure coop!!