An Owl Attacked a Cat in Front of Its Owner

To make the story even more interesting, the legendary kitten was almost killed by an Uhu.

Let’s start by explaining the previous description: according to the owner, this is no ordinary cat. The snow-white cat shares its home with playmates such as a Dogue de Bordeaux and a Cane Corso. In fact, not only does it live with them, but according to the owner (who is also our co-author), Erik Csupor, the cat outright dominates them. At least, it is the boss in the mixed pack. This special position is one of the reasons why it would have been a great loss if the owl had succeeded in catching the cat.

In the following video, you can see the trio formed by the two giants and the graceful, snow-white cat:

While the huge dogs are playfully wrestling, the cat doesn’t even blink an eye or twitch a whisker. It maintains its position with complete calm, which would be unimaginable for many around these breeds of dogs. As we often emphasize, much depends on the socialization of our pets. In this case, the cat grew up with the dogs, so their proximity is completely natural for it. So much so that according to its owner, it doesn’t really know how to behave with other cats.

The Cat Couldn’t Hear the Owl Approaching

Adding another twist to the story, our white-whiskered friend is deaf. Erik’s daughter found the then 5-week-old kitten, and as it turned out, their new pet doesn’t hear anything. Therefore, they can only communicate with it using hand signals. Our readers might know that the white color is often associated with partial or total deafness due to genetic reasons. Because of this, the cat might not have noticed any of the following events.

As we learned from our colleague, they were in the yard when the large bird began circling above the cat with a clear intention: it must have been aiming for a midday meal. The knowledgeable witness identified the bird as an Eurasian eagle-owl, also known as the Uhu, which is surprising because these birds are nocturnal predators and do not usually hunt in residential areas during the day. The restricted habitat must have forced the bird into such a desperate solution. Fortunately for the cat and its owner, the owl’s attempt was unsuccessful.

Birds of Prey Can Also Be Dangerous to Dogs

Birds of prey can indeed pose a threat to smaller dogs, as many small dog owners can confirm. Chihuahuas or Yorkshire Terriers are the perfect prey due to their size. According to experts, birds that could potentially pose a threat to our pets include the already mentioned eagles, falcons, hawks, and in some areas, vultures. Laura VonMutius, a staff member at the Audubon Center of Birds of Prey in Maitland, emphasizes that these birds mostly feed on rabbits, squirrels, smaller birds, occasionally reptiles and amphibians, as well as fish and insects. However, it does happen that they prey on larger animals and consume their victims on the ground.

Larger owls, in particular, can be dangerous, sometimes hunting down fox cubs; moreover, they are often responsible for the dwindling numbers in poultry yards among birds of prey.

They Protect Their Territory

Apart from hunting for food, territorial behavior also plays a role in these attacks: birds of prey fiercely protect their territory. Often, this is why they attack dogs and cats. Based on all this, we can confidently say that the threat of winged predators to household pets is not just an urban legend.