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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A senior cat has been caught on camera seemingly putting the fear of God into her owner's young dachshund.
Lilly the cat has never had an issue living with a dog. The 14-year-old feline has lived with her owner, Chris, from Birmingham, England, since she was a kitten and often alongside a canine companion.
Otto the dachshund is the latest addition to the household. The wiener dog has been part of the family for almost two years, and he and Lilly couldn't be closer, their owner said. "They usually sleep together and most of the time it's Otto chasing her," Chris told Newsweek.
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The duo's usual closeness is what made a recent encounter so unusual. A video posted on TikTok under the handle @ottothedachsy shows Otto attempting to walk past Lilly, who is sitting in the doorway of their owner's home.
For reasons unknown, Otto appears to be unsure of himself and wary that Lilly may strike him at any moment. Lilly, for her part, seems unconcerned and remains in the doorway, perhaps demonstrating her authority. The dachshund eventually passes, albeit nervously.
Chris described the encounter as "bizarre" but said he might know why Otto was nervous. "My biggest guess is that she's taken a swipe at him at some point for being obnoxious as he's always in her face, and this time he's thought twice about passing her on the steps," he said. "But, I mean, he's a dachshund, and they are known for being overly dramatic."
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Some people believe cats and dogs are incapable of coexisting peacefully. However, the evidence suggests otherwise.
A 2020 study published in the journal PLOS One put the theory to the test by having 1,270 pet owners with both cats and dogs complete a questionnaire on their pets' behavior around each other.
The results suggested the two species were capable of coexisting and might even enjoy each other's company. Researchers found that 63 percent of the cats and dogs living together in the study also played together, while 58 percent chased each other and 41 percent fought.
Cats were more likely to give their dog roommates the cold shoulder, though, with the study finding 42 percent of cats ignored dogs, compared to 28 percent of dogs shunning cats. Cats were also more likely to attack dogs than the other way around.
Many watching Chris' TikTok video, which has received more than 518,000 views and 58,000 likes, had their own interpretations of the events—with one user writing, "Mini dachshunds can sense evil."
"That cat is NOT just chilling. It knows exactly what it's doing—power move," another added.
A commenter said, "Cats are just sadistic wind up merchants they know what they're doing."
"We know who wields the power in that house," another wrote.
Though Otto appeared unsure of himself in the video, Chris confirmed that business as usual resumed shortly after. He said, "After this clip, he was back in her face being his usual bossy self."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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