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It seems like a cat and a lizard in one room is a perfect recipe for disaster. These reptiles are tiny, they move, and they are living things, which make them easy prey for most felines who haven’t entirely given up on their wild instincts.

Surprisingly, from what you can see in this rather intense compilation from Bored Panda right down below, things are not that easy. Cold-blooded lizards are not surrendering to four-legged hunters any time soon. And on the contrary, lizards and cats sometimes do make a perfect friendship.

The dynamic of such friendliness is, in fact, so complicated and all, I can’t do much other than leave you with the quote: “there’s only one step from love to hate.” From felines who are convinced they’re lizards, to lizards holding onto their chin for like, an eternity, these are some of the most dramatic encounters that blur the line between what we call an enemy and a best friend.

#1

My Colleague Made This Photo. Crouching Cat, Hidden Lizard

My Colleague Made This Photo. Crouching Cat, Hidden Lizard

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#2

Two Unlikely Best Friends

Two Unlikely Best Friends

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#3

My Cat Pretty Much Adopted My Rescue Lizard As Her Weird Scaly Kitten And The Two Are Inseparable. They Have Naps Together, Spy On The Neighbors Through The Window Together And Just Generally Hang Out Together Every Chance They Get

My Cat Pretty Much Adopted My Rescue Lizard As Her Weird Scaly Kitten And The Two Are Inseparable. They Have Naps Together, Spy On The Neighbors Through The Window Together And Just Generally Hang Out Together Every Chance They Get

They have naps together, spy on the neighbors through the window together and just generally hang out together every chance they get. (All interactions are 100% supervised).

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neonn_pieee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aww the little lizards eyes are all closed. They're so precious!

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To find out for once and for all whether cats and lizards are meant to be friends or enemies, we reached out to Rachel Geller, a certified cat behavior specialist and author of the book “Saving the World, One Cat at a Time: What I Know About Cats - And Why You Should Know It, Too.”

Even if cat and lizard encounters may look funny to humans, we should remember that “Cats have a prey drive that can be triggered by something that moves fast, and lizards move fast,” Rachel warns. She adds that “a cat may see the lizard as prey or something to play with,” and this can be dangerous for both the lizard and the cat.

#5

My Friend's Cat Playing With The Lizard

My Friend's Cat Playing With The Lizard

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Raine Soo
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The cat is adorable, but that can't be too comfortable, having a lizard clamped to its lower lip.

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#6

Rare Moment Captured This Morning As Our Cat (Who Is Very Shy) Booped Our Bearded Dragon (Who Is Always Sleeping Under His Rock)

Rare Moment Captured This Morning As Our Cat (Who Is Very Shy) Booped Our Bearded Dragon (Who Is Always Sleeping Under His Rock)

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First of all, “it can be lethal for a lizard to be bitten or scratched by a cat.” On the other side, “lizards can be toxic to cats if the cat eats the lizard, but even if he touches or plays with the lizard.”

Rachel explained that “many lizards carry parasites that can cause digestive problems in cats and harm the gallbladder or liver” so badly that it may pose a threat to the feline's life. If that wasn’t enough, cats can also get salmonella from eating a lizard.

#7

My Cat Thinks He's A Lizard...

My Cat Thinks He's A Lizard...

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#9

My Friend's Bearded Dragon Likes To Cuddle With Her Two Cats

My Friend's Bearded Dragon Likes To Cuddle With Her Two Cats

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Raine Soo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The dragon knows where to go for warmth. The kitty in the first photo is actually hugging it. It's so sweet.

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The cat behavior specialist advises everyone who wants to keep both a lizard and a cat to keep them in totally separate and secure rooms. Glass tanks may not protect the cat from getting in, because “cats have been known to figure out how to get in there and capture their prey.”

Once a cat's prey drive is stimulated, and remember that they’re natural-born hunters, Rachel says, they will figure out a way to get to the lizard. Unfortunately, that’s just not for the better for either of them.

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#10

Took My Bearded Dragon To A Clinic I'm Interning At

Took My Bearded Dragon To A Clinic I'm Interning At

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#11

My Friends Just Posted This Pic Of Their Kitty And Their Bearded Dragon

My Friends Just Posted This Pic Of Their Kitty And Their Bearded Dragon

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#13

My Cat Has Been Looking Everywhere For This Lizard

My Cat Has Been Looking Everywhere For This Lizard

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#14

My Bearded Dragon And My Roommate's Kitten Are Buddies

My Bearded Dragon And My Roommate's Kitten Are Buddies

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#15

The Expression On My Cat's Face Is Pure Ecstasy. Iggy Enjoys Lying On Him Because He's Fat And Warm

The Expression On My Cat's Face Is Pure Ecstasy. Iggy Enjoys Lying On Him Because He's Fat And Warm

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Michelle Line
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lol! I had an iguana just like this waaay back in college and called him "Iggy", too.

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#16

My Friend's Cat Likes To Catch Lizards... This One Caught Him Back

My Friend's Cat Likes To Catch Lizards... This One Caught Him Back

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#17

My Cat Caught A Lizard And Had No Idea How To Proceed

My Cat Caught A Lizard And Had No Idea How To Proceed

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#18

Today’s Top News From Isolation: A Lizard Is On The Fence

Today’s Top News From Isolation: A Lizard Is On The Fence

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#19

Lizard Likes Warm Surfaces, Cat Likes His Back Scratched - Some Problems Solve Themselves

Lizard Likes Warm Surfaces, Cat Likes His Back Scratched - Some Problems Solve Themselves

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#21

I’ve Made A Huge Mistake

I’ve Made A Huge Mistake

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#22

There's Something About Lizards And Cats Together That Makes Me Turn Into A Little Girl

There's Something About Lizards And Cats Together That Makes Me Turn Into A Little Girl

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#23

Shhhh... Be Quiet Cat, We're Hunting Bugs

Shhhh... Be Quiet Cat, We're Hunting Bugs

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#24

Lizard Spotted

Lizard Spotted

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Eagle Girl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every day of my cats life. She must be convinced life outside the screen is magical

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#25

This Is Why Cats Shouldn't Play With Lizards

This Is Why Cats Shouldn't Play With Lizards

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Kate Swartz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a good kitty, mine would have ripped it off his face and destroyed it

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#26

So A Lizard Got In The House

So A Lizard Got In The House

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#28

Someone Asked Me To Post This Picture Of My Three Cats Here, I’m Not Sure Why

Someone Asked Me To Post This Picture Of My Three Cats Here, I’m Not Sure Why

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Hunter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the stoopid hooman let me infiltrate this base muhahaha

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#29

My Cat Tried To Eat A Lizard So The Lizard Tried To Eat Him Back

My Cat Tried To Eat A Lizard So The Lizard Tried To Eat Him Back

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#30

Eating Lunch Together

Eating Lunch Together

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#33

“Undivided Attention” Brought To You By A Small Lizard On The Bathroom Window

“Undivided Attention” Brought To You By A Small Lizard On The Bathroom Window

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#34

Turned Around For One Minute While Walter Was Out Running Around And He Got Himself All The Way Up The Door. He Is Such A Character. Minky The Cat Was Jealous

Turned Around For One Minute While Walter Was Out Running Around And He Got Himself All The Way Up The Door. He Is Such A Character. Minky The Cat Was Jealous

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#35

My Cat Loves Her Buddy. She Constantly Wants To Play And He'll Be No Part Of It

My Cat Loves Her Buddy. She Constantly Wants To Play And He'll Be No Part Of It

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#36

Baby Bearded Dragon And Cat, Should I Keep Them Apart?

Baby Bearded Dragon And Cat, Should I Keep Them Apart?

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#37

They Want That Lizard Soooo Bad

They Want That Lizard Soooo Bad

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#38

Lizard Gets Pushed To The Edge And Attacks My Cat

Lizard Gets Pushed To The Edge And Attacks My Cat

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#40

When You Catch Dinner, But Dinner Catches You Back. The Lizard Bit The Cats Lip For Over 5 Mins

When You Catch Dinner, But Dinner Catches You Back. The Lizard Bit The Cats Lip For Over 5 Mins

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Flare
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it just me, or are the majority of the pictures just basically this?

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Note: this post originally had 119 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.