In hilarious footage shared to TikTok by user that.doodle.murphy, a large dog called Murphy can be seen attempting to escape the clutches of a seemingly harmless feline.
The cat appears to toy with the hapless canine though, chasing him around one corner of the apartment, before hiding in wait as he comes back around the other side.
“Damn right I’m afraid of him,” the onscreen caption reads. The video, which was filmed in Murphy’s Central California home, has already been viewed over 1.8 million times and can be watched here.
Nils Jacobi/Trudy Gardner/Getty
Although the notion that cats and dogs struggle to co-exist is often overblown, when it comes to conflicts between the pair, research has shown cats tend to be the instigators.
In a 2018 study of 1,270 households where at least one cat and one dog resided, researchers found 10 percent of cats hissed at dogs while just 2 percent of dogs growled at cats.
The research, which was published in the scientific journal PLOS One, found that 24 percent of dogs had been attacked by at least one cat while 22 percent of cats had been attacked by a dog.
Those figures certainly align with what is being presented in the clip. Murphy is evidently wary of his feline roommate and would rather keep his distance.
The cat, by contrast, appears eager to engage to an extent that borders on torment. However, it’s still entirely plausible that Murphy may simply be playing along and enjoying the thrill of the chase with his pet sibling.
Regardless of the specific context, their interaction proved popular among animal lovers on social media with many taking to the comments section to reflect on the adorable exchange.
User Cookiecakeohmy2 commented: “No matter how large the dog, a cat will always be top dog!” while Lisa Marie Paciullo agreed: “Cats are way too smart.”
Jade.Archie concurred, writing: “This cat is smarter than the dog. Thinks ahead and ambush the dog. Don’t play with them, they like to win.”
Stephanie Bratcher, meanwhile, loved the drama of it all. “It’s the way the doggo pauses and looks back like okay I lost him and then boom he’s back in a different place,” she said.
Others like Dianezap0, meanwhile, were simply enamored with Murphy’s adorable soft nature. “Awwww the gentle giant is beautiful,” the user said. Wildrose was similarly taken by the pet pooch, commenting: “that floof doesn’t stand a chance.”
Elsewhere, Larry Blaisdell was simply happy at seeing two pets enjoying themselves. “This is so cute,” he said. “They are having so much fun.”
Newsweek has contacted that.doodle.murphy for comment.
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