A golden retriever puppy named Teddy, from New Zealand, has captured the hearts of social media users after his owner revealed the reason why he can’t look directly at his feline sister.
In a viral TikTok video shared on Friday under the username @teddy_the_golden__, the puppy can be seen cautiously glancing at the kitty, and quickly turning his head around once he realizes she’s staring him down.
“When you can’t even make eye contact with your sister [because] she will punch you in the face,” reads the caption.
While dogs are usually much bigger than their feline counterparts, it’s actually not uncommon for them to petrified of cats. This is due to a mix of instincts, past experiences, and the felines’ powerful personalities, according to Canada Vet.
A dog, who for example, experienced cats’ claws or bites as a puppy, may still remember the way it felt, which can in turn cause them to be fearful. Some particular dog breeds, including smaller ones, or those bred for companionship, are more likely to be afraid of cats.
Dogs are easily scared of cats, but what are cats scared of? Cats are often afraid of loud noises, strangers, water, changes in their environment, humans, veterinarians, confined spaces, dogs sometimes, and even cucumbers, according to Pet MD.
While cucumbers may sound like an unreasonable fear, scientists believe that it’s not the cucumber itself that cats are afraid of, but rather the fact that it’s an unknown object that they have never seen and do not understand.
In most cases, cats and dogs can live together without any issues, and can even become best of friends! A 2020 study by Italian scientists, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that over 64 percent of cats and dogs living together also played together; 58 percent chased each other; and 41 percent fought.
The video quickly went viral on TikTok and it has so far received over 283,000 views and 37,100 likes on the platform.
One user, Lifecoachph1, commented: “My American bully is scared of his cat boss sister just like this.”
KM said: “This older sister-younger brother dynamic spans across all species I’m afraid.”
The Essential wrote: “Ok. I see nothing in here mom—but actually crying for help ‘momma did you see that,’ such a best moment.”
Newsweek reached out to @teddy_the_golden__ for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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