A Turkish community cat attacks men but not women. The video clearly shows this. People are scratching their heads as to why this happens. The cat is outside a market in Istanbul, the country’s largest city.
The cat’s antics have been picked up by security cameras. You can see that when a man passes the cat attacks his legs. Soon afterwards a woman goes into the market and the cat lets her pass without incident.
The cat also attacks dogs who dare to come near her. Local residents say she is normally a calm cat and only recently has she taken to attacking passing men and dogs.
The key to the question might be in what a neighbour, Ali Aydin, said.
“This is not a wildcat, she is used to people. She crosses here every day, taking food to her kittens. We leave the door open for her. The cat is used to that spot. It is not an aggressive cat but due to her kittens she is attacking. It’s a very good cat actually. Maybe somebody has hurt her.”
Another person said that he had seen several people kicking the cat. It seems possible and perhaps likely that men have kicked the cat. She has taken this as a threat against her and her kittens and she defends them fearlessly. She has learned that humans in trousers are aggressors. She may not in fact differentiate between men and women based on their clothes and not their gender.
Some people, less educated, think the cat is crazy. It is, however, quite clear that the cat is not crazy but applying a lot of common sense based upon her personal experiences.
There are numerous videos online of female cats defending their offspring fearlessly. There’s nothing more courageous and fearless than a female domestic cat protecting her offspring. She should be given due respect and patience.
I hope that she is allowed to remain where she is. I also hope that men allow her sufficient space to send a signal to her that they are not a threat and thereby avoid being attacked.
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I think it’s most likely the cat (or any cat) gathers sufficient info about possible or probable aggressors based on common denominators (behavior and appearance or type). That’s their top interest and means for survival, recognizing what and who things are. I don’t know what else makes more sense. The opposite is also true, that they recognize non-threats and friends then not attack them. Pretty basic but I read all the time about people who don’t know basics so it’s good to keep pointing it out.