Bearcat ... and related links

Jack the
Cat trees a bear (CNN story)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRcSzqa4cLs

Selection of cats doing strange/funny things -- includes a short clip of another cat/bear confrontation near the end (just before 1 minute).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAE2Kcp0Nt8

Another cat with a dog
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSICRmlZpVM

Kitten & Puppy
youtube.com/watch?v=RO-3Qdogr9w

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Assorted cat-related comments in response to the 'cat trees bear' story/video.

Pfui.

Overachiever.

What ees he compensating for? I ask joo.

Tambien, I've chased bigger.

(bathes in feigned disinterest)

so.

El Gato Negro! | Homepage | 06.11.06 - 3:32 pm |

My old man raised running walker and blue-tick hounds for hunting purposes, generally keeping a dozen or so at a time in a big-ol' chicken-wire fence. And though no one in my family were what you'd call "cat people", we usually had at least one mean-eyed yard cat that some jackass dropped off prowling around the yard. When we were kids, one of my cousins - a genuinely mean little s--t that grew up to be one helluva upstanding guy - threw the current yard cat into the dogpen with eleven walker hounds.
Now, walker hounds aren't particularly aggressive dogs. They'll chase something until it kills 'em, but they have no earthly clue what to do with whatever they might catch. Still, being playful and naturally given to chasing critters, they will kill a cat just due to being overly rambunctious.
So, little s--tass cousin throws the cat into the pen, baby brother runs to Momma to tattle, and Momma takes off to rescue the cat. In hardly no time, she runs back to the house, and somewhere in my parents' house is a picture of all 12 of them walker hounds backed into a corner, trying to crawl over each other to get away, and that mean-eyed cat just staring at 'em, flicking that tail back and forth.

I, for one, have no doubt that if they could figure out how to use can openers, house cats would take over the world in about a week.
Matt T. | 06.11.06 - 4:16 pm |

My beautiful Yin Lihn, now resting in the back yard next to her mother, was another such. Had her from three days old till she died in her 22nd year, generally peaceful (except when it came to getting her share of food), but tough when she had to be and an unbelievable purrer, you could hear her from the next room.
She went fifteen pounds, compact too. A neighbour cat, pure white, got into the habit of coming onto her porch and staring through the screen -- that's "f--- you" in cat language apparently. Yin Lihn would go ballistic, almost turn herself inside out like something from a Heinlein novel.
After putting up with this for half an afternoon, we said screw it and opened the screen door. Our girl waited about one eighth of a second, a little surprised, then charged right into the white cat. Actually hitting with paws raised, I swear, it was like snow coming down, all that fine white fur thrown up in the air. She pushed that poor cat down the stairs and there they sat hunkered down staring at each other from a foot away.
For fifteen minutes, not moving a muscle, either one. Then the white one verrrry carefully starts moving away in reverse, one deliberate, backward step at a time. At twenty feet he lights out like no tomorrow. Our gal lazily moved her head to follow his escape, nothing more.

Never saw that cat again.
MikeB | 06.12.06 - 11:11 am |

Cats can be very territorial. My parents' late cat, Frazier, did not like intruders into his territory.
His territory was Houston.
G Jones | 06.11.06 - 9:37 pm |

"I, for one, have no doubt that if they could figure out how to use can openers, house cats would take over the world in about a week."

Housecats already are the dominant species on Earth. They long ago figured out how to control humans and get them to use the can openers for them.

Haven't you noticed? Cats in general are the single most efficient predator on land, but housecats have evolved to where they don't have to bother with such "iffy" propositions of actually hunting for a living. Instead they have tamed people to provide for them.
It is my suspicion that our house cats have selectively bred humans for increased ability to use tools. The early association of house cats and humans was the first human civilization in Egypt, where cats were recognized and worshipped as Gods. Coincidence? I don't think so.
No doubt they felt that they could have more power from a less obvious position than as formal Gods. You will also notice that there has never been an advanced city-based human civilization that was not associated with cats.
Just remember. Contrary to all our myths, God walks on four paws with little switchblades inside each toe. When you please God, God sometimes purrs for you.
When you realize how much work we humans will go to to get that purr, you tell me who is dominant?
Rick B | Homepage | 06.12.06 - 7:15 am |

Old observation bearing repeating here: A dog thinks, wow, these humans feed me, love me, take care of me. They must be gods. The cat of course thinks, wow, these humans love me, feed me, take care of me. I must be God.