Protective Mother Cat Goes After a Dog She Decided Was Too Close to Her Kittens

This explosive video shows a black and white domestic shorthair mother cat attacking a small, blonde dog. Two very young kittens crawl about at the edge of the screen as the onslaught by their mother occurs. She ferociously defends the kittens, lashing out with her teeth and claws. The dog runs away at first but turns back toward the cat family. The mother cat isn’t having it and launches a second attack. She only stops when the dog snaps back at her. It appears the dog thinks better of its decision to check out the kittens and moves on. Like many animal mothers, this cat defended her kittens with every bit of fury she possessed. Let’s take a look at the most fierce animal mothers before watching the clip of the mother cat protecting her kittens!

What is Maternal Instinct?

To understand why these fierce animal mothers behave as they do, we must look at maternal instinct. Maternal instinct is the natural, biological drive mothers have to protect and nurture their babies. Not all animals have this instinct. One study determined that sounds smells, and previous experiences all have an effect on maternal instincts in humans, rats, and sheep. It stands to reason this is true in other species, as well. Some animals that don’t care for their young include snakes and lizards, sea turtles, and most moths and butterflies.

What Are Some Other Fierce Animal Mothers?

We already learned that domestic cats savagely protect their babies. Are there other fierce animal mothers? The answer is, undoubtedly, yes! You might automatically think of bears or lions that both protect their young with all their might. Although these species commonly come to mind, many other animal mothers ferociously defend their babies, too. Let’s discuss a few fierce animal mothers you might not normally think about!

Alligator

Most people don’t think of alligators when they think of amazing animal mothers. However, they truly are quite good a raising their babies. A female alligator builds a nest to lay her eggs in to keep them warm. She stays nearby and aggressively defends the area from any and all intruders. When the babies hatch, she gently carries them to the water in her mouth. She takes great care to not injure them. Then, she stays close by warding off predators until the hatchlings are large enough to hunt and survive on their own. This fierce animal mother certainly shouldn’t be messed with, babies to defend or not!

Gorilla

Generally, silverback gorillas come first when we think of which of the great apes to fear. Even so, mother gorillas should be on that list! These massive apes form extremely close bonds with their young. A mother gorilla spends the first six months of her baby’s life not leaving their side. After this time, the baby will venture out a bit but never too far from their mother for 2.5-3 years. If the mother perceives any threat, she will aggressively defend her young. She uses loud vocalizations, ground slams with her fists, and even throws things at potential predators. Should one get close enough, she will put herself between the attacker and her baby without hesitation. These fierce animal mothers do significant damage to attackers with their strong hands and arms, along with their very sharp teeth.

Hippopotamus

Already a species known for ferocious defense of their territory, the mother hippo is viciously protective of her baby. She is already extremely dangerous on her own, but even more so when defending her calf. Her weight alone is enough to trample some predators, while her long sharp tusks can slash through an opponent with ease. This fierce animal mother might seem like a slow-moving creature, but they are surprisingly fast on land and will chase away would-be attackers. Most animals that live around hippos know not to come close to them, especially when babies are present.

Watch This Mother Cat Savagely Defend Her Babies Below!