Housecat Stares Down Lioness In Showdown Of Felines

Feb 25, 2020 by apost team

Derek Krahn, a director for a non-profit big cat sanctuary operated out of Texas, recently posted an adorable and interesting video when his domestic kitty Baggy challenged a lioness named Noey.

It features the calico kitty getting into a stare-down with a lioness. The cat does not seem to realize that the lioness outweighs her by several hundred pounds and continues to spar (safely) with her larger cousin.

The video starts off with Derek stroking her and expressing regret that she doesn’t seem to be telegenic enough to become a “webcast kitty.” The cat then scampers off toward a cage containing a pacing lioness called Noey.

The calico actually charges the cage at one point, which seems to give the lioness pause. The cat’s owner yells at her to stop, but she ignores him. The owner then speculates that she has “little Napoleon kitty syndrome,” which is apparently a variant of small dog syndrome or aggressive behavior displayed by something like a Dachshund or Chihuahua, claims IHeartDogs.com.

apost.com

There is actually something similar to small dog syndrome in cats, and it’s called "tortitude", it is said on Meowingtons.com. The word is a portmanteau of “tortoiseshell” and “attitude,” because it describes personality traits seen in tortoiseshell and calico cats. Cats with these color patterns are often described as feisty, “fiercely independent,” and strong-willed. They are even less likely to listen to their humans than are other cats, and they may very well be more likely to do things like have staring contests with lions.

“Big Cat Derek” posted the video, and he has a channel by that name on YouTube. He also helps run a full-on big exotic animal shelter in Texas, which is home to a variety of cats and other exotics, reports the official website of Center for Animal Research and Education. His wife, Heidi Krahn is the founder and the two met in 2006 while he volunteered at the center on weekends. 

In addition to Noey the lioness, tigers, leopards, pumas, and bobcats all live at the sanctuary.

The video channel is, unsurprisingly, devoted to the cats at the sanctuary. Interestingly, not all of them are permanent residents. One video tells the story of a bobcat that was brought to the sanctuary after being hit by a car. Derek and his co-workers nursed the bobcat back to health and released it back into the wild a few weeks later. They chose an area with a lake and trees as the bobcat’s new home.

Do you have a cat or small dog that seems to have way too much attitude for its own good? All animal lovers would probably love to see this, but especially those with cats a little too sure of themselves! Please tell us your comments in the section below.