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u/One_Kick_9603 4d ago
They're both puffing up to make themselves look bigger haha
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u/Radiant-Ad-3134 4d ago
I do that too
it just takes longer and much more food
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u/TheLostRanger0117 4d ago
Makes me think of guys with big lifted trucks actually just being scared/threatened, trying their hardest to intimidate
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u/Patient-Tomato1579 4d ago
Yes, there are even studies which confirm that large vehicles help to build the perception that you are dominant.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-020-00936-5
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u/IEatPussyLikeAPro 4d ago
I’ve been attacked by an owl half the size in a popular jogging trail and the force that owl hit me with and snatched my hat not only made me bleed, but I was actively struggling to keep conscious for a few minutes as it kept swooping down. I now have a new found of respect for owls.
Besides that I was able to scare it off by literally trying to kill it while it tried to whoop down mid air. I was indeed in survival mode for a good two minutes. I’ve played football and it felt just like getting my bell ringed, if you know you know.
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u/Sparky_the_Asian 4d ago
what on earth did you do to piss it off 😭 I’ve never heard of owls attacking unprovoked
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u/SturmFee 4d ago
Had the same with a remote street near my old home and a - thankfully - much smaller hawk.
It was not unprovoked from their perspective, they had a nest near the street and felt the joggers and dog walkers were intruding into their safety zone.
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u/IEatPussyLikeAPro 3d ago
I was running with a beanie that a puffy ball at the top which I can only assume it had mistaken it for a rabbit and than got mad at when it realized I was not a rabbit. Or nest near by
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u/_-whisper-_ 4d ago
Can owls get rabies?
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u/Immediate_Cod_3042 1d ago
risk is low but they can technically carry the rabies virus. Always talk to a doctor after an owl attack.
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u/beckychao 4d ago
Owl took a cat on my street last year
Whole neighborhood had to hear it die, screaming, for like 5 minutes. Then came silence and "hoot hoot!"
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u/clarity1011 4d ago
Absolute unit of an owl
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u/Baldur9750 4d ago
His bamboozlery seems to be working then
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u/damididit 4d ago
Ever seen cats sit in a taped square because the illusion of a hidey hole is good enough? Same principal here. Who knows how much owl is behind those wings??
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u/Own_Butterscotch_129 4d ago
My cockatiel does big wings at everything scary and it cracks me up every time
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u/crsaxby 4d ago
Reminds me of a steroidally enhanced jackass I saw at the bar last night...
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u/CordeCosumnes 4d ago
I was wondering what a jackass was doing at a bar, then realized you were talking about the two-legged variety.
Unless you were in Mexico...
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u/Baked_tatow 4d ago
When I started reading your sentence, I thought you were about to talk about Baldur’s Gate 3
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u/Musecage 4d ago
That owl is scared AF. “Please I hope this works. Please don’t come near me”
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u/NilocKhan 4d ago
Obviously being on the ground isn't going to help, but owls do regularly eat cats. One way for birds to get their revenge on feral cats.
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u/pwntahontas 4d ago
This doesn't look like an adult owl, could be wrong, but I doubt it would be sitting on the ground like that if it could just fly off. Regardless, this animal shouldn't have to deal with cats. Cats compete directly with animals like owls for food resources and "outdoor cats" are a HUGE fucking problem.
This cat is likely the pet of the piece of shit filming.
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u/Important-Ad1871 4d ago
I get your reasoning but that owl is huge dude. There’s no way it’s not an adult.
Big birds are kind of vulnerable when they’re taking off. The cat could close the distance and the owl suspects that, so he’s trying to scare it off instead.
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u/CariniFluff 4d ago
There are owls with ground or even below ground nests. Or if might have been just circling back to something that it just killed but wasn't able to snatch on the first attack and the cat started it.
I would assume it's protecting a meal, home, mate, owlet, or possibly injured.
Honestly kind of interesting to think about, if an adult owl has a slightly injured but healable wing let's say, as long as there's no dogs or big cats around, I think just about the only thing that might try to fuck with it would be another owl or bird of prey. Not like a snake or squirrel is gonna go investigate a very alive and angry owl on the ground.
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u/Echo-Azure 4d ago
Both animals are trying to scare the other off by fluffing up and appearing larger and looking scary.
Both are hoping the other gives up the game and funs first, and I wonder who did?
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u/mostlyharmless71 4d ago
The cat is the one in danger here.
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u/fluffer_nutter 4d ago
Not on the ground actually. If the owl was hunting the cat from above then definitely. But owls are not fighters the hunt from above and snatch with the talons. Cats are mostly predatory ambush hunters but if you ever seen two cats fight, they are basically two Looney Toons tasmanian devils entangled. Owls dom have that agility. However in the situation in the video there is zero chance it would come to any fight because neither one is hunting and the cat would only engage in cat kung fu with another cat.
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u/SonOfABrisket 4d ago
Owls are actually super skinny and have hardly any meat. If you removed the feathers they look like as skinny as those rubber chickens. It's just that they can puff out their feathers to look massive.
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u/LemonHerb 4d ago
They only weigh like 4lbs though
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u/agoodfuckingcatholic 4d ago
When I first moved into my new home years ago, I was sitting out back at night enjoying the yard and noticed a huge ass bird, flying between my house and others, it was a big white owl, hunting for mice. It’s so eerie but beautiful seeing it flap its wings and not make a sound. Completely quiet, flying and landing. I love owls
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u/EPIC_RAPTOR 4d ago
Looks like he's really hoping the cat turns around and goes away. If he tries to take off the cat could easily catch him.
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u/froopadiddilydoop 4d ago
I’m betting the Owl would fuck the cat up in a fight
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u/Brian_The_Bar-Brian 4d ago edited 4d ago
Predators don't really "fight" to get food. They go after the easiest prey available. Most owls go after mice, chipmunks, and other small animals, cats also normally go after critters 1/10th (or smaller) in their size. When Predators do go after prey as large as themselves, they normally do it in packs so they have a numbers advantage, such as wolves or lions.
Getting even a slight injury in nature often means death for a predator, so it's best to avoid meals thay can harm/kill you.
Edit: avoid, not ovoid... 🥴🤷♂️😅
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u/FancyPigeonIsFancy 4d ago
Same logic when advice is given to humans to stare down and make yourself as big as possible if you stumble upon a bear or mountain lion while hiking (and as tempting as it is, don't simply run off like a prey animal would).
Of course you won't beat them in a fight, and the bear/lion probably knows that too, but you have to "convince" them the injuries they'd sustain while killing you won't be worth the trouble.
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u/LesserGooglyMooglie 4d ago
The same actions usually work against humans, make yourself big (arms flailing around) and make loud noises, people will think you arent sane and usually back off...
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u/Jamie-Ruin 4d ago
Keep them thinking. If you run, the hunter instinct takes over and they're not thinking anymore.
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u/MiserableCumberbunch 4d ago
That's why a starving predator is the most dangerous. It will choose abnormal targets because it's desperate for food.
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u/Greedyanda 4d ago
Large owls are known to occasionally hunt cats and they don't do it in groups.
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u/Brian_The_Bar-Brian 4d ago
This is very rare, when they do they tend to go after the youngest/smallest/weakest/youngest of cats.
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u/MsCardeno 4d ago
If they go after a cat, it’s a surprise. They won’t square off.
It’s the same reason birds will mob hawks/falcons/eagles/anything scary. Birds of prey want to swoop in and grab something. If they’re seen, it’s not worth their energy to fight.
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u/Gunmetalstorm 4d ago
I mean obviously eggs are an easy kill, but what other ovoid meals are you thinking of?
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u/Slayer1440 4d ago edited 4d ago
I think it'd be a pretty even fight. Both owls and cats are ambush predators. But even a medium sized cat is heavier than a large owl. This is *not* a large owl. it's poofing itself up to look bigger. It likely weighs less than 5 lbs. All three of my cats are about between 9-15 lbs, more than even the heaviest owl.
Owls have a crazy strong zygodactyl grip on their talons. Incredible pressure. If the owl managed to pin the cat down, I'm betting it could do serious damage, but owls are specialized for tearing strips off of very small mammals, not cats. And cats are much *much* faster than an owl. Owls are in fact one of nature's slowest birds while also being the quitest.
That being said, owls do have thicker plumage, probably more difficult for a cat to latch on to its real body if the owl tries to slip away with a cat's much smaller claws. If we don't take into account most animal's aversion to a serious fight that could lead to real damage, and just bloodlust them into a face off, I'd say a normal domestic cat wins 6/10. It is much faster and has an advantage on the ground. plus more weapons. teeth as well as four claws vs an owl's two talons and beak.
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u/Careless-Sink5005 4d ago
Are you the guy behind that one show about theoretical animal encounters? Lol
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u/ProxyMuncher 4d ago
A cat would 100% fuck up an owl.. owls are weak sauce and go after rodents and tiny shit. It would have no idea what to do if a really angry cat landed on it and started going to town.
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u/AtheismoAlmighty 4d ago
What an absolute ass-pull of a comment. Owls absolutely prey on cats. There are actually pictures right here on reddit showing cats being carried off by owls.
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u/this_is_bs 4d ago
Owl has no chance of pinning a cat down - cats are too strong and slippery with their smooth fur and loose skin. Overall the owl is a lot more fragile than the cat.
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u/Slayer1440 4d ago
That's why I said "if". And that's a big if. Owls have much higher PSI strength in their talons than cats to in their jaws and paws. The primordial pouch and loose skin + fur like you said is evolved to deal with attacks from other cats and smaller predators. but that doesn't matter if the bite force is strong enough.
That and an owl's fluffy feathers are it's only real advantage over domestic cats. but there are people in here saying that owl could absolutely fuck that cat up, so I'm not sure what I'm missing.
I gave the owl a 30-40% chance of winning over a cat's 60-70%. depending on factors. I think that's a reasonable judgement.
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u/Oli_VK 4d ago
Cats can take down prey up to three times their size on a stress test, it might be a bit pressed
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u/Alaknog 4d ago
I think problem that owl is not "prey". Fight between two predators is more complicated.
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u/ProfessionalToe6503 4d ago
If the cat was able to ambush from behind I don’t think it’d have much of a chance. Any other scenario though I think your right the owl would shred that cat to pieces
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u/Crimsonhead4 4d ago
Owls have some crazy talons though. If it could get a few kicks in it would definitely do some damage.
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u/mister2d 4d ago
Ambush an owl from behind? Whose head can turn completely around and hear them from a distance?
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u/h1ruki 4d ago
Why didn’t it just.. fly away?
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u/justamigwad 4d ago
I would assume because they are big and slow, comparatively speaking. So they are vulnerable during the few seconds it takes to lift off
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u/Narrow_Possession348 4d ago
Owls kill and eat cats all the time. Not the other way around.
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u/oh_ski_bummer 4d ago
Not when they are grounded. Cats are way faster on the ground. Owls need the surprise factor.
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u/Barm8 4d ago
Not all the time. It happens, but very rarely. Cats kill a shit ton of birds a year, obviously mostly small ones, but I’d be surprised if they haven’t gotten some owls, especially young ones. My point being, I don’t think it’s quite as one sided as you think, assuming neither animal is ambushed.
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u/kkeut 4d ago
doubtful. while they appear large, their bones are hollow and their frathers are light. the average field owl will always weigh less than the average domestic cat
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u/Proof-Government523 4d ago
wait I’m sorry. Are you telling me that you need to be bigger than something in order to kill it?
Because you should really look at what ants eat.3
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u/melbournelollipop 4d ago
Am i the only one who thinks that owl looks hella creepy doing that?
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u/Banana_Juice_Man 4d ago
Thats kinda the point
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u/melbournelollipop 4d ago
I mean, for other animals yeah. Usually i find it cute when animals do this sort of thing
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u/kkeut 4d ago
yes. confusion over their appearance and behavior at night is the leading theory for several historic extraterrestrial sightings.
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u/kellsterguitars 4d ago
Really wish people would stop allowing their cats to roam outside. Incredibly invasive
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u/Smart-Firefighter87 4d ago
I had no idea they did this to deter threats
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u/RagingPUSHEEN68 4d ago
Believe it or not, a lot of animals have a gimmick to appear larger. Humans are (or were) included in that list.
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u/Smart-Firefighter87 4d ago
No, we still are. We try and make ourselves appear bigger by pumping up our chests and our facial expressions also change… we have lost the ability to lift our hairs (for the most part), but we are still very much among the animals that have said “gimmicks”
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u/RagingPUSHEEN68 4d ago
Yeah, I was mostly referring to goosebumps when I said that.
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u/Smart-Firefighter87 4d ago
Oh lol - I mean some people can control when they get their goosebumps; I can… it’s interesting e sure a lot of stuff that some people can do, we don’t realize that they are from evolutionary history. It’s pretty cool, like some people can can move their ears independently while others have things in their bodies that in others have evolved completely out of their bodies
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u/demoneyesturbo 4d ago
I wish people would keep their pets away from wild life. I wish people would keep cats indoors in general.
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u/Hot-Frosting-5286 4d ago
Agreed. I became a hardliner on this issue after learning just how harmful they really are to ecosystems. They have already caused the extinction of at least 33 species around the world
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u/Unlucky-Worry1211 4d ago
Imagine walking around at night after eating the wrong mushroom and coming upon this. You’d have some stories to tell.
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