All cats love to roll in the dirt. I seriously doubt they are learning from the chickens. I had cats before I ever had chickens. Fun to watch, though, huh?

Yes, I can also attest to the dust-rolling cats. We especially love it when Snowball, a pure white cat, rolls in the garden and gets totally FILTHY! Grrr! Lori

heehee - I love to see a cat totally dirty because it reminds me that they really don't rule the planet! Mine like rolling in sawdust, too. Not so funny when it's all through your bed at bedtime, though........

Great. I am glad they are turning out normal even though they had chickens for a substitute mother. Now, if the chickens would watch the kittens and learn to cover up their poo, that would be a plus!

Here's an illustration of how much cats love it..... our p/t farm cat Ginger escaped from the car (she had been kept inside the house for several hours waiting to leave) and headed straight for a luxurious dust wallow. Easily captured!

We call the rolling cats, the kitty worm act

My cat will roll on the grass, as well as on carpet and the couch, so I think it's in part a grooming thing and in part a back-scratching motion, as when horses roll. In the house, as well as outside, it's sometimes a "look at me, pat me" gesture, although she then sometimes runs away in mock (or real) alarm as I bend over to oblige. But she most frequently rolls on the gravel drive, and comes up glittering with mica specks.

I think our outdoor cat rolls in the dirt to deter fleas. I have never seen fleas or flea dirt on him, even though our "clean" indoor cats get them from time to time.