Two domestic cats who had been fighting one another made the internet giggle after they put their disagreements aside to concentrate on a bird.
Cats are affectionate creatures who can shower owners and friends with love. Yet, they can also be remarkable predators who hunt their targets mercilessly. This list of adversaries includes mice, other cats, birds, or even robot cleaners.
Among these enemies, birds’ ability to retreat from a fight by flying away is one advantage that drives felines crazy.
A literal catfight
In June, Reddit user @babayum6969 uploaded a funny video on the subreddit r/AnimalsBeingDerps.
This popular forum comprises of posts featuring animals doing hilarious or stupid things (depending on who’s judging), hence the tagline “Aww, they’re so stupid.”
In @babayum6969’s video, viewers can see two tabby cats fighting next to a glass window, the bout continues until a disruption occurs.
Both cats hear the unmistakable squeak of a bird passing and then it’s a complete situation reversal. The two frenemies promptly end their fight and turn their attention toward the sound, getting ready to pounce.
Watch the clip captioned “Screw the fight, we heard our mortal enemy laugh” below.
Commenters recognized the kittens’ love and hate dynamic. @TheIronMatron wrote:
“Siblings when someone outside the family starts talkin’ shit.”
Others found a historical reference to qualify this relationship, user @Tryphon59200 compared the cats to “France and England throughout history,” with another commenter adding that the bird represented Germany.
In addition to the damage caused by human activities and our ever-increasing environmental impact, feral and domestic cats are also threatening biodiversity. This serious topic is raising concerns in many countries.
The cutest predators
According to a 2013 study published in Nature.com, cats kill between 1.3 billion and 4 billion birds and 6.3 billion to 22.3 billion small animals in the United States alone each year.
Cats are estimated to kill 377 million birds and 649 million reptiles in Australia each year, compelling the country to undertake a program targeting stray cats. In addition, a study reports that cats kill between 100 and 350 million birds annually in Canada.
The same phenomenon is observed in Europe, prompting local authorities to adopt drastic measures. For example, a city council in Germany announced a seasonal restriction on cats’ movements last May.
However, pet owners can lessen this negative impact with simple steps. Specialists highly recommend that you keep your cat inside so that it does not cause any harm to the local fauna.