# Cat saves small boy from dog
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 14, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469 "2014-05-14T21:28:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/1 "2014-05-14T21:28:06Z")
[http://www.wxyz.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/amazing-video-cat-saves-boy-from-dog-attack-in-southwest-bakersfield-051414](http://www.wxyz.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/amazing-video-cat-saves-boy-from-dog-attack-in-southwest-bakersfield-051414)
Warning, the end of the video shows the boys wounds to it’s not for the squeamish.
I’m surprised I seem to be the first to post this, at least I didn’t see it anywhere else here.
This cat is amazing, he chases the dog then goes back to check on the boy.
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### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/2 "2014-05-14T21:30:41Z")
I just saw this on Facebook. The owner of the house has some serious surveillance.
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### Author:  [@Lydia\_Phalfav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lydia_Phalfav)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/3 "2014-05-14T22:39:00Z")
I linked this story to my FB earlier today. Good on the cat! I hope kitty gets some good lovin’s & treats.
I hope the dog gets some serious behavioral retraining. If it can’t be enforced then it looks like it might be best to put it down.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/4 "2014-05-14T22:41:57Z")
> [@Lydia\_Phalfav](#):
>
> I hope the dog gets some serious behavioral retraining. If it can’t be enforced then it looks like it might be best to put it down.
My personal dictum is that once a dog has bitten a person (especially in an attack like this) it’s bye-bye doggie. No ifs or buts at all.
But yeah, kudos to kittie! That cat has some serious balls! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/5 "2014-05-14T22:52:24Z")
> [@kambuckta](#):
>
> My personal dictum is that once a dog has bitten a person (especially in an attack like this) it’s bye-bye doggie. No ifs or buts at all.
>
> But yeah, kudos to kittie! That cat has some serious balls! 🙂
Probably not any more. 😛
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/6 "2014-05-14T22:59:05Z")
Sweet!
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/7 "2014-05-14T23:04:00Z")
They referred to her as a “she” and her name is Tara, not that people have never been mistaken about their cat’s gender but I am going to go with her being a female until proven otherwise. I just saw the family on the national news and it looks like she had bonded with the boy when he was a baby, even sleeping with him in his crib. She also looked like a pretty mellow cat when not defending her kid from dogs.
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### Author:  [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/8 "2014-05-14T23:22:48Z")
OK. That was wild and I love that cat. But I’m totally not understanding the end when the mother gets up and leaves her kid laying on the ground with the dog still roaming around free. WTF!
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/9 "2014-05-14T23:57:35Z")
> [@monstro](#):
>
> OK. That was wild and I love that cat. But I’m totally not understanding the end when the mother gets up and leaves her kid laying on the ground with the dog still roaming around free. WTF!
It looks like she went to see where the dog had gone. The kid was running for the door and the cat was between the kid and where the dog had gone.
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/10 "2014-05-14T23:58:06Z")
> [@monstro](#):
>
> OK. That was wild and I love that cat. But I’m totally not understanding the end when the mother gets up and leaves her kid laying on the ground with the dog still roaming around free. WTF!
It’s hard to predict how you will react in a spur of the moment situation. It’s possible she quickly assessed the boy was not critically injured, told him to run back to the house and went to check on the cat/make sure the dog was not going to come back. The cat went back around the other side of the car and joined her but at the time she did not know where the cat was or if it was in danger.
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### Author:  [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/11 "2014-05-15T00:06:56Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> It looks like she went to see where the dog had gone. The kid was running for the door and the cat was between the kid and where the dog had gone.
Earlier today I read (no of course I don’t remember where) that Mom ran around the car to alert the dog’s owner (who was standing in his own driveway), at which time the dog attacked her as well.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/12 "2014-05-15T00:13:53Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#):
>
> Earlier today I read (no of course I don’t remember where) that Mom ran around the car to alert the dog’s owner (who was standing in his own driveway), at which time the dog attacked her as well.
[Here’s the only version](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/pet-cat-saves-boy-from-attacking-dog--with-video--161925992.html) I found that included the mom being attacked.
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/13 "2014-05-15T00:16:03Z")
That video made the 5:00 news here. Cool vid, but must be a slow news day.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/14 "2014-05-15T00:20:13Z")
> [@levdrakon](#):
>
> The owner of the house has some serious surveillance.
That’s my observation too. I know this is not the type of event that can be staged, but who has that many cameras and that many edits?
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/15 "2014-05-15T00:24:32Z")
That’s just 3 cameras. 😕 If you’re going to film your property, get some serious coverage, not just one camera angle that may or may not show anything useful - or at all.
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### Author:  [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/16 "2014-05-15T00:35:24Z")
Surveillance systems are cheap these days. Costco, Sam’s Club, amazon and other web stores sell systems that include 2TB hard drives and many cameras. An 8 camera system will give you three for the front of the house, one right at the front door, two in the back yard, and one in the hallway inside the home. They are fast becoming a normal consumer product that is easy to install yourself.
I have one.
And yeah, go kitty.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/17 "2014-05-15T00:37:33Z")
I never thought a cat would react that way. That’s just amazing how it flew right into that dog. Attack cat!
Glad the boy is ok. That dog needs to be caught and put down. That was a totally unprovoked attack. A dog like that can’t be allowed to run loose and hurt people.
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/18 "2014-05-15T00:40:12Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#):
>
> That’s just 3 cameras. 😕 If you’re going to film your property, get some serious coverage, not just one camera angle that may or may not show anything useful - or at all.
Well, that was three camera angles that were relevant to the video. Why would the guy edit in other cameras that filmed nothing relevant? I think it’s safe to conclude he’s got serious surveillance all around the house based on what’s included in the video.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/19 "2014-05-15T00:45:50Z")
> [@monstro](#):
>
> OK. That was wild and I love that cat. But I’m totally not understanding the end when the mother gets up and leaves her kid laying on the ground with the dog still roaming around free. WTF!
I just assumed she went in to grab her phone to call 911.
I was going to link this video to the dog-walking thread - see, this here is an excellent example of why we have leash laws for dogs, and why just opening your front door and letting your dog out is a terrible, irresponsible idea. I know that it’s possible that the dog escaped and was not deliberately allowed to roam free, but either way, it was the owner’s responsibility to keep their dog under control and not allow this to happen.
Way to go, kitty!
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-saves-small-boy-from-dog/688469/20 "2014-05-15T00:48:56Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#):
>
> Well, that was three camera angles that were relevant to the video. Why would the guy edit in other cameras that filmed nothing relevant? I think it’s safe to conclude he’s got serious surveillance all around the house based on what’s included in the video.
Yup. As others said, you can get multi-camera rigs for reasonable prices; I’ve even seen 8-camera setups for sale on Woot for a few hundred or less, depending on how big the hard drive is that comes with them.
Edit: And about the mother’s actions, my assumptions also included she was going to find where the dog went and if it was attacking their cat or what, or get her phone, or something. She saw her son’s injuries and probably realized they weren’t of a life-threatening nature, and was taking some kind of action to help the situation.
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