Today my neighbours friends visited with their Rhodesian Ridgeback who slipped his lead and jumped the fence into my garden where he attacked my 11 year old Saluki who was sitting outside,she is too old for fights so I was scared for her.
I went out to stop it but my cat Sasha ran ahead of me and went for the ridgeback,after a brief fight in which I was sure she'd be killed she leapt away and stood between the dogs,facing the ridgeback, with all her fur on end making this horrible hissing/snarling noise.
At this point he ridgeback was pulled away by it's very apologetic owners.He had a few claw wounds.Sasha and my dog are both ok.
I'm amazed by this.I would expect it from a dog as they are pack animals who help each other.But although I know domestic cats are more social than wild ones and my cat and dogs are good friends I have never heard of a cat putting itself in danger to protect a dog.
Has anyone else heard of this?
2007-02-12 09:42:23 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
Well firstly, I'm jealous that you have a saluki, they're my favorite breed, just gorgeous and wonderful personalities... Secondly, yes, I've seen this behaviour myself. My dogs defend my cats and my cats defend my dogs. Two nights ago a friend brought his daughter over, one of my cats bit her while she was trying to crawl on the back of my larger dog who is waiting for knee surgery.
When I was young, my best-friends cat ruled the neighbourhood, a new family moved into the area and their dog use to bark its head off at the dog across the street from it. One day, he snapped his chain (he was an akita) and tried to kill the dog across the way. My best-friends cat left huge bleeding wounds in the akita's face while protecting the other dog... after that, he didn't bark and tucked tail whenever the cat walked past.
It happens, still amazes me every time though.
2007-02-12 10:02:04 · answer #1 · answered by Noota Oolah 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
confident i actually do think of they do. as quickly as I had my previous dogs, if I have been ill or out of varieties she replace into appropriate via my area. She's long previous now,yet I nonetheless have my cats that have been raised along with her and that they have got a tendency to be a similar way. Like as quickly as I had a dying interior the kinfolk, they have been all appropriate there with me, even to circulate so some distance as to be in my mattress and did no longer choose to go away my area. That replace into the dogs and cats the two. They easily can experience while something is incorrect with us and choose to be there for help.
2016-11-03 06:51:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats, as well as many other animals have an uncanny talent of knowing things that will happen before we do. Your cat sensed there was something wrong with your dog and went to help by attacking the other dog. I would run too if I had that happen to me. lol That's awesome! Be very glad your kitty saved your dog.
2007-02-12 09:56:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
See if you can get a copy of Konrad Lorenz's books, Man Meets Dog and King Solomons Ring are two classics.
He was the founding father of ethology, spent his life studying animal behaviour and describes many funny incidents.
He describes how he once saw a cat chase off a dog to protect its canine companion, the cat rode the dog 'like a witch on a broomstick' up the street.
And once a cat guarding her litter chased a black bear up a tree in Yellowstone National Park, so they can be pretty fierce!
Its quite rare for cats and dogs to be genuine mates in this way.
2007-02-12 10:11:46 · answer #4 · answered by sarah c 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
good for shasha! 100 points! Your Sasha obviously considers the Saluki as hers and will protect it. That is so cool... but scary I know...When we were in Manila, my cat Kaffe and my freind's daushound used to join forces chasing away stray cats and whenever they succeed, they both would zoom around the yard in a victory run (they never hurt any of the strays though). It sure puts the question mark about cats not being "pack animals" right?
2007-02-12 09:50:31 · answer #5 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I don't own a dog, but our cat loves to "surprise" attack dogs. He is particularly nasty to any that dare enter his yard. He sneaks up to them and whacks them on their nose, then hot foots it up a tree!
He also does this along the dirt road beside our house, he will hide in the shurbery, wait for the offending dog to walk by, whack the dog, then takes a run for it over the fence back into our yard.
I swear, he has a mighty grin on his face.
I think your kitty is being very protective.
2007-02-12 09:51:08 · answer #6 · answered by Pacifica 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Your cat has been part of the household for a while and so has your dog, they obviously get on and your cat is protecting her family, be it dog, cat or human, rat or mouse. It has happened before. Be proud of her and enjoy her to the full
2007-02-13 20:51:57 · answer #7 · answered by shmee4 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Omg, Absolutly! My cat - Kung-Fu - was born here (litter of foster kittens, I ended up keeping only one : ) ) and my dog -Gertie- has protected and taken care of him since he was a tiny kitten. They are inseperable! My dog will chase away other cats who come into our yard if they start hissing at his little "brother" and when my friends bring there dogs over for doggie playgroups Fu will get upset and hiss at the other dogs if they play too rough with Gertie. : ) Its adorable! They dont seem to notice or care that they are differnt species.
2007-02-12 09:53:02 · answer #8 · answered by Jacqui D 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
yes, i had quite a few cats years ago, and they do, do some truly amazing things at times.
i remember one just had kittens, and all that happened was next doors dog barked !. she cleared a 6 foot fence and tore the dog to pieces ......lol
how`s that for good mothering, poor dog was just minding its own business, it was golden retreiver size, but by the time the cat finished with it, it probably felt like a mouse ........lol
2007-02-12 09:51:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Cats along with many other animals do not recognise themselves in a mirror so your cat sees herself the same as your dog and was looking out fore one of her own
2007-02-13 05:58:07 · answer #10 · answered by lettuce 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋