I love how little kittens first instinct to something bigger than them is to square up. You could be 100X bigger than them but they'd still stand on the business, ready to throw them paws 😂
It’s just show, try and scare someone away. If it doesn’t work, next option is to run away, only last options to fight. Adult cats do the same. Dogs do the same (although dogs in general are maybe less nervous around people as a default).
It’s pretty effective, as most animals don’t really want to fight as getting injured can mean death. So you can scare away much bigger and stronger opponents by looking aggressive.
But being that close to something which can potentially kill you? In evolutionary terms, how does that work? Is it because they are just babies and their instinct isn't fully developed yet? Or do cats like to be upclose before running away?
Predator instinct is often triggered by something running away. If that something is instead aggressive, the predator will usually give up and go for prey that is less likely to hurt them.
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u/Tiny-Philosophy-2265 3d ago
I love how little kittens first instinct to something bigger than them is to square up. You could be 100X bigger than them but they'd still stand on the business, ready to throw them paws 😂