Snake strikes at cat

And I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't hit her! It would have taught her a lesson.

My cat is really curious when I'm holding either of my 2 BPs, but yesterday she wanted in on the action. I was holding my new 7-8 week old pewter, and she came up on the couch and was acting curious, so I showed her the snake, and they went nose to nose which was super cute and all, and then 30 seconds later without warning Lily (the cat) whapped Mara on the head. I was horrified, scared there would be a claw injury, but it looks like it was a clawless whap. I [yelled at the cat], which I'm sure didn't mean a whole lot to her, and went on. It obviously didn't traumatize Mara as she took her scheduled feed today.

Tonight I had Penelope out. She's about 400g, and growing daily (she came to me a few months ago as a 130g weak 10 month old). She's amazing but has proven to be feisty once, when I sprayed the water bottle right after a feed. Anyway I'm on the phone with my best friend (who's dead scared of snakes), I'm lying on my back on the couch, and Lily pops her head up right around where Penny's head is and Penny actually struck at her! I was shocked. Did she strike at the sudden movement (not cool), or at a combination of scent and movement?

Honestly this is one reason why I think it's ok to feed in the enclosure. All warm blooded moving things are NOT the same to them. This was a sudden defensive strike, and if one were to call it a feeding strike (which I doubt, she was fed 4 days ago on a 50g rat), then if the whole in and out of enclosure thing was true she wouldn't have done it while lying on me outside of her tank.

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Opps, I posted two of them same post. Mod, please delete the other one?

I don't own any cats, but that would of taught your cat a good lesson I bet.

I think if anything it was more or less just the sudden movement with a heat source.

Bet that cat wont do that again. Mine gets edgy like that when something is right in front of her but shes never struck out like yours did.

My cat has a game of trying to get my boa to strike at her when the boa is caged. When the boa is out, the cat gets locked up in a separate room because I don't trust them anywhere near each other. I'm trying to train my cat to leave her alone. The cat doesn't care about any of my other animals, just the boa since she discovered this 'game'.

Maybe, I hope it wasn't just a sudden moving heat source that did it, because I mess around in there all the time. Also she was on top of me, while I was lying on the couch on a phone, my hands were all over the place (I gesticulate too much), and that wasn't bothersome to her. As soon as the cat popped up she struck at her.

I'll often walk into my room, where four of my five snakes reside, and my female Pit x Lab mix will have her nose pressed to the snakes cages, wagging her tail, with her ears perked. She loves my snakes, and my snakes don't mind her. She hangs out with my BP and my Corn snake all the time (with me supervising)
Cats are probably a whole different story, though. Cats are antagonists! Lol

I think it's a cat thing. My one hognose strikes the glass when the kittens antagonize him. They also enjoy making my dragon frilll out. Cats are just buttheads lol.

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Originally Posted by Shera

And I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't hit her! It would have taught her a lesson.

My cat is really curious when I'm holding either of my 2 BPs, but yesterday she wanted in on the action. I was holding my new 7-8 week old pewter, and she came up on the couch and was acting curious, so I showed her the snake, and they went nose to nose which was super cute and all, and then 30 seconds later without warning Lily (the cat) whapped Mara on the head. I was horrified, scared there would be a claw injury, but it looks like it was a clawless whap. I [yelled at the cat], which I'm sure didn't mean a whole lot to her, and went on. It obviously didn't traumatize Mara as she took her scheduled feed today.

Tonight I had Penelope out. She's about 400g, and growing daily (she came to me a few months ago as a 130g weak 10 month old). She's amazing but has proven to be feisty once, when I sprayed the water bottle right after a feed. Anyway I'm on the phone with my best friend (who's dead scared of snakes), I'm lying on my back on the couch, and Lily pops her head up right around where Penny's head is and Penny actually struck at her! I was shocked. Did she strike at the sudden movement (not cool), or at a combination of scent and movement?

Honestly this is one reason why I think it's ok to feed in the enclosure. All warm blooded moving things are NOT the same to them. This was a sudden defensive strike, and if one were to call it a feeding strike (which I doubt, she was fed 4 days ago on a 50g rat), then if the whole in and out of enclosure thing was true she wouldn't have done it while lying on me outside of her tank.

- - - Updated - - -

Opps, I posted two of them same post. Mod, please delete the other one?

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Why would u [yell at the cat]? Like it knows better? It's your win fault for putting them that close,there animals..use common sense man. My cat also whacked my BP when I first introduced the,,but didnt discipline her,just don't put them that close.

If I still had a cat, it couldn't be anywhere near my snakes! Could you imagine trying to pull your little kitty out of the grasp of an +8ft boa? Or +7.5ft boa, or 7ft boa? Not happening.

We don't even let our pug in the house when the big girls are out. My 130lb rott is a different story tho lol.


Sent From an Enclosure

well cats and snakes are natural enemies from what im told, but one of my cats used to smack my snakes when i introduced them, and when she did all i did was lightly tap her on her head and scolded her slightly. now when i show her my bp she actually rubs against the snake and once had her lick my bp lol it was cute. cats are smart but they generally just dont like to listen, i always say cats are like people lol my older cat (he recently passed away) loved all my snakes and would even cuddle with my burms when they were smaller, and my retic too when he was also small, i have pics to prove it! i dont trust my newer cat with them tho since hes an outdoor and indoor cat and pretty playful.