Encounters between house cats with cougars, also called mountain lions or pumas are rare, and it’s uncommon to catch what happens on video. Here’s one such example that resulted in surprising behavior from all involved. Could you be this calm if this happened to you? (see video at the end)
Jessica and her family have a farmstead in Sooke, British Columbia. They share lovely gardening and backyard farming videos. Often, her backyard chicken flock gets a spotlight, including Cricket the Speckled Sussex.
The friendly hen that inspired it all behaved like a cat, she said. Later, the other hens that looked like her earned the name of Cricket as well.
“Cricket, our Speckled Sussex, quickly became a favorite between my husband and me, as she was friendly, non-skittish, food-motivated, and almost cat-like in the way she would sit in your lap, close her eyes, and soak up the sunshine,” she said.
Cricket the chicken/s from Cricket and Strawflower. Images and media via Facebook/Cricket And Strawflower
Having chickens like Cricket inspired her family to “a slower way of life, and ‘growing our own’ in our own backyard.,” she explained. And life on the family farm is led to an unexpected encounter between the family cat and a huge ‘Forest Friend!’ It was mostly likely there to investigate the chickens and geese, but ended up finding the cat.
Phoebe the House Cat Makes a Huge ‘Forest Friend!’
Recently, Jessica’s feed went viral when she shared a video of her cat, Phoebe, making “forest friends!” As you can see, the tuxedo cat is fearless as a huge cougar appears. Thankfully, it’s on the other side of a large sliding glass door. But it does make us nervous, considering how thin the glass barrier is.
Images via Instagram/cricketandstrawflower
It’s funny to see how brave Phoebe is in the face of such a humongous cat just a fraction of an inch away. And what’s also remarkable is how relatively calm Jessica is, not wanting to scare the big cat, even as it was gently pawing at the glass. And judging by the cat’s reaction, it knew she was there the whole time.
“I don’t want to scare it, it’s freaking me out!” said Jessica.
At that very moment, Phoebe was evidently not afraid at all, jumping to put both paws against the glass at the level with the mountain lion’s face! But the cougar was not one bit deterred by the tiny, fearless kitty.
Video via Instagram/cricketandstrawflower
People React To the Forest Friend/Cougar Encounter
When the video went viral, the comments got interesting. One of the comments most ‘liked’ was:
“The cat distribution system is getting out of hand here in the U.S.,” said Amanda G.
While the location is technically Canada, thousands found the idea amusing.
However, we really identify with this comment:
“I aspire to be as calm as the person recording this interaction,” said Balbi M.
And this one is quite funny. Phoebe seemed to want to keep the attention on herself and not her mom.
“Phoebe is like, ‘Don’t look at her. Look at me!” said Shannon S.
Another person named Sam wondered, “Do you think it would enjoy a laser pointer?”
Many folks predicted that Phoebe would have been in mortal danger if not for that thin glass. Sadly, we would have to agree the house cat would be no match, although they have often been seen boldly running off wildlife like coyotes (still extremely dangerous).
Others mused what would happen if they could only let the big kitty indoors for a cuddle. We know it was a joke, but what would happen? Almost certainly, the cougar would run off. But in the slim chance it did not, we cringe to think about it.
These are wild cats, and though they look like cuddly, overgrown house cats, they have nothing in common whatsoever. It took thousands of years for house cats to domesticate humans and arguably become ‘tame.’ But a wild cat has no such ambitions or inclinations. They’re just trying to survive by hunting live prey, mostly deer, but also rabbits, rodents, or off-leash pets given the opportunity.
Therefore, it’s critical to give these beautiful cats ample room and healthy respect. As always, we recommend keeping cats safely indoors whenever possible. We’re very glad that was the case here!
You can see more on Instagram/cricketandstrawflower and TikTok/cricketandstrawfl
Being Wise About Cougars and Other Wildlife
Life on Vancouver Island sounds lovely, with access to wilderness parks along the southwest coast. And it’s also a gardener’s dream, with some residents saying they plant vegetables all year long in the mild climate. They also have their share of wildlife, including cougars and bears. Reports have been increasing in recent months. Unlike other big cats, cougars are thriving, even though most folks will never once lay eyes on these masters of remaining unseen.
“It’s important to understand that while these animals are known for being opportunistic hunters, they typically make a great effort to avoid humans and conflict with humans. If you’re lucky enough to spot one of these animals, please know they are often just passing through,” shared the Wild Wise Society, which serves the Sooke area.
Image via Facebook/Wild Wise Society
In nearby Metchosin, there have been reports of cougars attacking livestock. Keeping all animals inside a barn or coop at night is the best way to avoid such attacks, although there are occasionally rare encounters during the daytime, too.
“Cougars are very visual and auditory animals. So, they rely heavily on their sight and their hearing. And again, as opportunists, if they see a food source, and it’s available and accessible, they will go after it,” said Wild Wise president Mollie Cameron, a group that advocates for coexisting with wildlife. “They just see food. And again, we live in their territory, and it’s important for us to try to coexist with them.”
“Best practices with cougars include keeping pets on a leash, bringing free-roaming cats indoors and properly securing livestock (especially during dusk and dawn) with adequate electric fencing, secured shelters, and avoiding the use of enclosures close to heavily forested areas,” they shared on Facebook.
See more on Wild Wise Society on Facebook and Instagram.
