Guard dogs are very common, but have you ever seen a guard cat? A cat named Cleo sent the internet into a tailspin after her owner shared a clip of her guarding his home.
The post, shared on TikTok in April under the username baby.and.cleo, shows the tabby cat from New Mexico growling when she hears strangers passing by her home.
A caption shared with the video reads: “Cleo’s growl when she hears someone outside our door. Guard cat on duty. If you listen closely you can hear her growl.”
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According to Catster, while they’re not as intimidating as dogs, there are some cat breeds that can work well as guard animals.
First on the list are Manx cats, which act similarly to dogs. They can fetch just as well as their canine counterparts and actually come to you when you call their name, unlike most other cats.
Among all the other cats on the list, including breeds like Burmese, Abyssinian, and Bengal cats, Cymric cats are probably the best suited for the job. Not only can they act and growl like dogs, but they are also exceptionally protective and territorial, and hate having their personal space invaded.
The video quickly went viral on social media, attracting viewers from across TikTok. To date, it has received over 451,400 views and 105,200 likes on the platform.
News week reached out to baby.and.cleo for comment via TikTok chat. Details of the case could not be verified.
One user, Kate, commented: “My wild ex-tortie does this. She’s a good guard cat.” Ashley Sophia Jade W said: “My cats do this. Let me know when people come near my door.”
Zinnia wrote: “My cat did this ONCE which she has never done before. New apartment, I lay on my bed, on the phone, she jumped and growled at the window. bed.”
User halfgingerish added: “I swear Calicos have the defense gene, we have two and they are so big.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or photos of your pet that you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could be featured in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
