Cats are one of the most playful animals and love the company of other animals. Whether they’re lightly swatting, chasing, or playing tag, felines adore attention and comradery, even in the wild.
Sometimes, animals can take things too far and not realize the boundaries of other creatures. A feisty gibbon realized this when he found a beautiful white cat relaxing on a bench that wasn’t in the mood for a disturbance.
The gibbon is not a monkey. They are considered lesser apes since they are smaller than great apes yet are members of the ape family. You wouldn’t be alone if you’ve ever thought one of these creatures was a monkey.
Gibbon calling to others
©su neko (suneko) / CC BY-SA 2.0, Flickr – Original / License
Gibbons are renowned for their ability to swiftly and elegantly swing through the trees using their long arms. They can move at up to 34 miles per hour, which is about equivalent to the pace of a racehorse galloping.
As this friendly primate attempts to play with the feline, the cat isn’t having any of it! If you look closely, you can see the cat’s ears go back. The way a cat moves its ears reflects how they are feeling at the moment. When they are scared or angry, cats pull their ears low against their heads.
Although its tail is swinging, the cat continues to swat at the playful gibbon to tell him that he’s not interested in playing at the moment. At one point, the primate decides to sit and jump on the cat… now that is practically asking for it!
If you’re a cat owner, you’ll know that when a cat isn’t interested in playing, they are not to be disturbed. Someone give this ape a clue because he isn’t registering that now is not the time!
Give Me Space!
As soon as the gibbon jumps on the cat for a second time, the feline lets out an annoyed sound and quite literally pushes him off. The top comment on a video of the interaction reads, “I’m in awe of how effortlessly the gibbon moves around.”
Still, the gibbon doesn’t take no for an answer. This is a young primate after all and he’s chalked full of energy. He eventually jumps back on top of the cat, pummelling him to the ground. This interaction quickly turns into something you’d expect to see in the animal version of WWE wrestling!
Like people, cats experience frustration for a variety of reasons. They may not feel in control of their surroundings which is one of the main reasons for this. This might occur in their immediate environment or during encounters with people or other animals.
While it is common for cats to occasionally become frustrated if this happens frequently and with excessive intensity, the cat may be at risk of developing long-term stress issues. Thankfully, the gibbon eventually got the picture and left the poor cat alone.
