Natasha 🇮🇪🇪🇺🏳️🌈I wish someday to be half as happy as this turtle on a skateboard, chasing a cat ...
The Sleight Doctor 🃏🍉@Natasha_Jay My dad's tortoise and cat are mortal enemies. Most people don't realise that if they're warm enough, tortoises can manage surprising bursts of speed. And of course, the tortoise is a cat-proof animal so watching it terrorise the feline can be highly amusing.
Cavyherd@ApostateEnglishman @Natasha_Jay
And cats are justn •not• programmed to be pursued by something smaller than they are. You see this same effect with ferrets.
@cavyherd @Natasha_Jay Right! The cat could just jump onto something and sit there smugly, but it's instincts tell it to attack because the thing is half its size. But the tortoise has had millions of years of evolution to adapt to exactly such attacks, so there's nothing the cat can do.
It's like human vs. tank. 😆
@ApostateEnglishman @Natasha_Jay
My favorite: watching the cat spot the ferret: "Oo! Small prey mammal!" & start stalking. Then the ferret catches sight of the cat & starts stalking •back•. Stg, the cat's brain visibly shorts out. It starts backing up. You can see the thought balloon form: "Oh—oh no. Oh wait—this isn't how this is supposed to go—!"
The ferret then instinctively goes for the cat's belly. Cat levitates onto nearest elevated surface, & spends the rest of the evening sulking.
@cavyherd @Natasha_Jay Oh many a cat, or a rat, or a rabbit, has been outwitted by a ferret. Those things can take on anything. Once they get a hold they're not letting go until the prey has bled out. They're relentless.
Our family has kept ferrets too.
@ApostateEnglishman @Natasha_Jay
Ah. Then You Know
Humans, also 😂
An intimidation index that would embarrass a bear.