The pictures tell the tale:
I was a big fan of this maneuver by Lily, as she attempted to pretend she was just sniffing the ground and not paying attention to the cat as she nonchalantly edged closer and closer. The cat was having none of that.
I didn’t get the actual attack because I was laughing too hard, but I did get this parting shot:
Really was a beautiful cat.
licensed to kill time
Protip to Lily: the cat always wins.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
That’s a handsome kitty.
Bub-e
The expression on the cat’s face on the final shot is priceless. I hope you don’t mind, I’m gonna swipe it for my facebook pals.
Violet
Hilarious set of photos. Lily is so funny. The cat will always win. Good for her for trying, though!
That cat is in the classic arched-back position so popular at Halloween. Very pretty kitty.
Ash
WTF? A cat that’s bigger than Tunch?!
phoebes-in-santa fe
Whose cat is she?
General Winfield Stuck
These photos really show how small a dog Lily is, as she looks much larger in photos of just her. Nice series
dfd
That is one pissed off kitteh.
bemused
The facial expression & the body language of the cat says it all. Enter my space at your own peril. Did Lily get batted with an open or closed paw?
JoyceH
My dog lives with cats, and when we go for walks she can’t quite get over her expectation that all cats will love her. “Hey, a cat! I’m good with cats…”
August J. Pollak
Holy shit, kitty’s rapface in the final pic honestly made me spit out my coffee.
bystander
I didn’t get the actual attack…
I take it there were no vet bills. Excellent!
licensed to kill time
@August J. Pollak: That’s a kitteh sneer – “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?! Then who the fuck else are you talkin’ to? I’m the only kitteh here on this street. Who the fuck do you think you’re talkin’ to?”
ihop
kitteh says “I have come here to chew catnip and kick ass… and I’m all out of catnip.”
lord almighty, she is a tiny doggie.
Max
@ John Cole – Those retractable leashes are dangerous. Fixed, 6 foot lead is the best.
Meow.
GReynoldsCT00
ROFLMAO!!! That last photo is classic!!
John Cole
@Max: I use a 6′ lead most of the time, but when we are right around my house I use the retractable one.
Max
@John Cole: Very good sir. Good dog ownership.
PeakVT
The last pic reminds me of this guy.
Chuck Butcher
That is not the scenario when Gus meets a cat on a walk, but 150# of deep fur bearing dog is just a little different than Lily. Gus doesn’t care about cats unless they’re in his yard.
mp1900
And that’s the real reason not to get Botox:
So you can scare off predators (or make your children behave) just by looking at them.
asiangrrlMN
“Get off my lawn, you damn kid!” Beautiful cat.
You Don't Say
I just need to counter this myth that the cat always wins. When I lived in San Francisco my cat sitter worked at animal control and she saw many cases of cats mauled by dogs. Dogs often win and it can be deadly to cats.
Great series of photos.
Svensker
@mp1900:
Just for you.
That kitty pic is great.
MBSS
you need to add hissing sound effects.
licensed to kill time
@You Don’t Say: You are right that cats often lose to a pack of dogs. Dogs somewhat lose their minds in groups and often do unpredictable things.
But in a one on one situation, almost invariably the cat wins. By “wins” meaning “scratches dog’s nose and makes it run away while puffing self up and looking as fierce as possible and then smug about it”.
JimPortlandOR
That is not a
gaydog friendly cat!All unleashed cats should be licensed and tested to be dog friendly.
JimPortlandOR
It looks like a hate crime to me….
bemused
When I was a kid, we always had 2 female cats which were never spayed. People just didn’t do that many years ago & consequently there were several batches of kittens a year. The mother cats were beautiful long haired calico cats, sometimes with extra toes, so finding homes for the kittens was usually not a problem. The moms didn’t have their kittens at the same time, sometimes a month apart, but all the kittens were nursed by both moms & slept in one big box. It was so much fun to watch the 2 moms together take care of them all.
One summer day a neighbor’s dog wandered over for a visit. The mothers & kittens were staying in the garage till the babies were big enough to go to new homes. The garage door was open & the dog poked his nose in. The two protective moms instantly went on the attack & it wasn’t pretty. It was all over in seconds. The dog vamoosed howling with blood dripping from his head & never ventured into our yard again.
Shell
That’s the ‘commando-creep-along.’ My old dog friend, Burt, did that with squirrels.
“Just walking along, la-dee-dah, nothing to see here, just sniffing, don’t get excited…………..NOW!’
Chuck Butcher
@licensed to kill time:
That would be a bad thing to count on, I have owned three different dogs that cared not the least about cat scratches, fortunately their only agenda was to humiliate said cats. Now, that all were in excess of 120# might have some bearing. I have known of several dogs that one-on-one were notorious as cat killers. That quite rightfully cost their owners but didn’t bring back the cats.
Both dog owners and cat owners need to know clearly that this is nothing more than a myth.
J.
Fantastic photos. Lily looks terrific and that last cat picture is priceless.
Anne Laurie
If that cat had fingers, he would be flipping you the rude one.
Trollhattan
Ha! Kitteh reminds me of Inspector Dreyfus in that last shot. I really like Lily’s feigned nonchalance (“Wow, look at this kewhl PAVEMENT”).
Only dog I’ve seen successfully take on cats his size was Walter, a JRT. He was truly fearless and had the whole protect-my-realm thing down to an art. Harvested an amazing toll of critters until done in by a Suburban.
My Dal will go after any cat she sees but they all flee, which is good for everybody involved.
They Live By Night
Great pics! My cat, who was a little stray and loves people more than anything, can’t be around dogs because he goes right after them. He’ll stand on his hind legs like Puss ‘N Boots and box them. (Enter segue.) Speaking of which, anybody watching the Cotto-Pacquiao fight tonight?
Svensker
I had a tough old tortoise shell tom cat when I was a kid — a real macho dude. He loved the doggie next door, a poodle, and the two of them would play together with no problem. But the other dogs in the hood? No way, that cat hated them. He’d periodically disappear, come back a day or two later with half an ear hanging off and scabs all over himself — then we’d hear about the dog on the next block that had to get taken to the vet for stitches.
Here he is not being a tough guy.
licensed to kill time
@Chuck Butcher: Well, it is true that you should never count on a cat always winning. I doubt most people would, frankly. Cats are pretty good about getting away if they truly sense danger from a dog, usually up a tree or wall.
I have personally seen a pack of dogs tear a neighbor’s cat apart; a friend’s dog was attacked on the beach by a pack and killed. I am well aware of how dangerous dog(s) can be particularly if they are roaming about “unsupervised”, as it were.
Once I was out walking in the boonies with my dog and we rounded a corner and ran smack into a pack of about 10 dogs. I thought we were done for until my dog (a shep mix) lowered her head and charged. She scattered the whole pack, much to my surprise.
Life is unpredictable and so are cats and dogs. So you are right, people should always be cautious when their pet runs into another unknown cat or dog and be prepared to take evasive action/hold that lead!
Trollhattan
p.s. Props on the George Clinton reference.
neill
i like the imaginative speculation as to that cat’s language if it could speak in the comments, but i don’t think it does the expression justice…i think our ears would bleed…
Delia
My dog has exactly the same coloring as Lily but weighs about sixty pounds. He likes to make strange cats run just to prove to himself what a big macho dog he is, but he’s terrified of any cat that stands up to him. The cat I had when he was a pup kept him in line by scratching his nose whenever she felt like it.
Once, about six or seven years ago I was on the road and spent a couple of nights with a friend. Her home was ruled by two old, ornery, and very large cats who brooked no disobedience. By the end of breakfast on the second day they had decided that my dog had outstayed his welcome and they ganged up on him and started chasing him in circles around the dining table. My friend and I laughed and laughed. Finally he went and sat at my friend’s feet like he was begging her to make them stop. She told him he had to work out his own problems.
Demo Woman
John, Thanks for the pictures. Most of the stories on the blog today are too depressing. I imagine Lily went home to Tunch and said what did I do wrong?
The squirrels and bunnies in my back yard have games they play with Miss Moxie. The bunnies pretty much ignore her but the squirrels dare her to chase them up a tree. Once that is accomplished while she barks on one side, they climb down and run to another tree. This game continues until Miss Moxie gives up. A cat did come into the fenced yard and Miss Moxie did tree her though. She probably thought it was a squirrel.
geg6
This photo series is so full of win. I love Lily’s pay-no-attention-to-the-sniffing-dog maneuver. That cat is a big meanie. There is no resisting the most lovely Lily. Sweet Lily. Who’s a good doggie? Lily, that’s who.
You Don't Say
@licensed to kill time: It doesn’t take a pack. I know someone whose Greyhound killed their cat. And my former cat sitter said many of the dog on cat attacks were by a big, single who treated the cat as prey.
I love dogs, I love cats. I’ve had both at the same time and know firsthand that they can live peaceably in the same home. But the quaint idea that a cat will always get the best of an inquisitive dog is wrong.
justcorbly
Cats always win. The universe favors them
Growing up, I had a dog and my sister had a cat. A sort-of cocker spaniel and a big yellow cat. The dog would sometimes chase the cat around and around the house. The cat would humor the dog for a few minutes until he grew weary. Then, he’d race out in front of the dog, flip over on his back, extend his legs and his claws, and scrape the dog’s bare belly as inertia carried it over the cat. Game over.
The dog never figured it out.
Julia Grey
Both dog owners and cat owners need to know clearly that this is nothing more than a myth.
I thought it was sort of a joke about cats. Said with a smile.
People actually take it seriously?
Interesting.
Keith G
Thanks John. Long day at work and a good laugh while waiting for supper.
Just Some Fuckhead
Thank you John. This is why I read Balloon-Juice.
harlana pepper
That was just beyond priceless, thx!
ellie
That kitty has had just about enough of Lily.
RedKitten
That cat would totally shit in your cornflakes if she could.
Chuck Butcher
@Julia Grey:
Myths are funny things, no accounting for who believes them. There are some regarding Republicans…
Yutsano
@RedKitten: Never ever EVER underestimate a determined furball.
Damien
Huh…hey, John, your last pic is already making the rounds at ICHC.
Did you steal this poor cat’s trousers?
http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=2843381504
chadwig
Thanks, very funny.
Just Some Fuckhead
Hey John, looking at the pics, I see you live near the hardtop.
keestadoll
gorgeous cat!
mp1900
@Svensker:
Hahahaha! THanks.
Justin
That cat looks ready to rumble!
josefina
@You Don’t Say:
I’ve spent entirely too much time in my local dog run. Over the years I’ve observed two things applicable here:
– When a fight breaks out, EVERYDOG runs over to either participate or observe (much like an elementary school playground). The participants really are seized by… something. They’ll bite without knowing who or what they’re biting.
– Size matters. Seeing and hearing a (non-Vickian) dog fight is horrifying. You’d swear that at least one dog had been disemboweled and they’d both lost massive chunks of flesh, if not limbs. But it’s mostly sound and fury. (Tale told by an idiot? If you know the owner of a dog that’s been in a fight, you needn’t ask.) If both dogs are roughly the same size, each one leaves with minor wounds, if any. But I once watched an “intact” chihuahua challenge an “intact” lab, over and over and over, which was pretty funny. Until the lab decided he’d had enough and seized the chihuahua, shook him, and broke his neck.
Uncle Glenny
@josefina:
Years ago my pit bull, on leash, was challenged by a little yappy thing that was running loose while a friend of mine was walking him. He didn’t shake it – I’d (deliberately) never played tug-of-war with him (other than putting my hand in his mouth and grabbing a canine as a party trick to terrify people). Yappy escaped unharmed, neither punctured nor crushed, but I ended up taking my dog to the vet because he’d gotten beaten over the head so much his eyes hemorrhaged.
I considered fashioning a breaking stick several times while I owned him, but they’re technically illegal here (dog fighting paraphernalia). If something like that happened with me I would have pulled his jaws apart with my hands.
EssJay
The stink eye. You got it.
Raincitygirl
Whoa, it would appear that my kitty has an identical twin brother in West Virginia. And judging by his doppelganger’s pissed-off expression, attitude is a hereditary trait.
P.S. If it’s a cat versus a small dog, my money’s on the cat to win. Cat versus a big dog, however, it would depend on the dog’s temperament.
Lizzy L
8 years ago my 18 lb, 2 year old cat was attacked by a stray pit bull and smaller friend; I found him under a car with a collapsed lung. One small puncture wound. $2000 later… he survived. I love dogs and cats, and own both, but I have also seen a stray cat ripped open by a dog pack — I carried that cat to the Emergency Vet that night, and paid for it to be euthanized. Yes, some cats take on some dogs and win, but dogs kill cats. Cats damage dogs, sometimes.
licensed to kill time
folks, the kittehs always win is a bit of fun. and I’m just fixing my vanishing reply arrow by submitting a totally unnecessary comment like I have to do every doggone day!
Phoebe
Svensker, that’s not a tortoiseshell, it’s a red [or orange] tabby. I have one of those too. They are very smart [all trained movie cats seem to be orange tabbies] and very relentless in their kitty agendas.
ET
That cat knows how to snarl. I wouldn’t get anywhere near a kitty wearing that face.