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.
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My Colleague Made This Photo. Crouching Cat, Hidden Lizard
Two Unlikely Best Friends
I shall call him Squishy and he will be mine and he shall be my squishy
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).
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.
Stalking Lizards Is Tiring Work
My Friend's Cat Playing With The Lizard
The cat is adorable, but that can't be too comfortable, having a lizard clamped to its lower lip.
I almost got him, Larry, this fluffy beast is going down, just a slight sway to the left....
if only it had been a bearded dragon there'd have been a great pun to be had
I don't think the friend's cat is playing with the lizard anymore. I think he wants a human to detach the lizard from his tongue.
I once had a student who caught a lizard, he put it to his ear and it clamped on just like this. Lizard earring! One of my favorite pics, but sorry, I cannot share it.
I have had a green anole do that to my thumb. It hurt a lot. Even thought their teeth are so small and their heads are so tiny, they can really pinch the heck out of a finger! he didn't let go for like... maybe fifteen minutes. i remember walking around with a lizard attached to my finger for a while. I've been told a story of a vacation that my family had. they were probably visiting relatives, but my uncle Denis caught two of them, and he put one up to each ear and wore them around the yard like earrings.
One of mine spotted a lizard and before I even could intervene, he killed it by biting his neck, and he brought him to me as a "present" .... that cat just doesn't like "critters" like that ....
My cat ate my brothers little lizards that look just like this one, all that was left were their tails. It was gross.
Rare Moment Captured This Morning As Our Cat (Who Is Very Shy) Booped Our Bearded Dragon (Who Is Always Sleeping Under His Rock)
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.
My Cat Thinks He's A Lizard...
Fat Eli & Ron The Dragon
My Friend's Bearded Dragon Likes To Cuddle With Her Two Cats
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.
Took My Bearded Dragon To A Clinic I'm Interning At
My Friends Just Posted This Pic Of Their Kitty And Their Bearded Dragon
My Cat Brought Me A Lizard
My Cat Has Been Looking Everywhere For This Lizard
My Bearded Dragon And My Roommate's Kitten Are Buddies
The Expression On My Cat's Face Is Pure Ecstasy. Iggy Enjoys Lying On Him Because He's Fat And Warm
lol! I had an iguana just like this waaay back in college and called him "Iggy", too.
My Friend's Cat Likes To Catch Lizards... This One Caught Him Back
My Cat Caught A Lizard And Had No Idea How To Proceed
Today’s Top News From Isolation: A Lizard Is On The Fence
Lizard Likes Warm Surfaces, Cat Likes His Back Scratched - Some Problems Solve Themselves
A Lizard Caught My Cat
I’ve Made A Huge Mistake
You think that lizard would stay more hidden. It already lost its tail.
There's Something About Lizards And Cats Together That Makes Me Turn Into A Little Girl
Shhhh... Be Quiet Cat, We're Hunting Bugs
Lizard Spotted
Every day of my cats life. She must be convinced life outside the screen is magical
This Is Why Cats Shouldn't Play With Lizards
What a good kitty, mine would have ripped it off his face and destroyed it
So A Lizard Got In The House
Just My Cat Cuddling With My Iguana
Someone Asked Me To Post This Picture Of My Three Cats Here, I’m Not Sure Why
My Cat Tried To Eat A Lizard So The Lizard Tried To Eat Him Back
Eating Lunch Together
Here Is A Lizard On A Cat
Cat vs. Lizard
“Undivided Attention” Brought To You By A Small Lizard On The Bathroom Window
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
My Cat Loves Her Buddy. She Constantly Wants To Play And He'll Be No Part Of It
Baby Bearded Dragon And Cat, Should I Keep Them Apart?
They Want That Lizard Soooo Bad
Lizard Gets Pushed To The Edge And Attacks My Cat
Cat Playing With A Lizard
When You Catch Dinner, But Dinner Catches You Back. The Lizard Bit The Cats Lip For Over 5 Mins
Who Would Have Thought A Lizard And A Cat Could Be Best Friends? If The Gecko Is In His Hide, The Cat Will Tap On The Glass And He'll Come Out And See His Buddy
At This Moment, A Beautiful Friendship Begun Between Lizard And Cat
Ling Ling The Cat And Chocolate Sit Like This For Hours, Looking Out The Window
Pearl Up Against A Dinosaur
Eleanor Has A Lizard Friend. It’s Been Showing Up Every Night For The Past Two Weeks
Had the same thing during a Hurricane. Lizard hung out on screen under shutter & cat kept it company until storm passed.
Cat Loves Dragon, Dragon Tolerates Cat
Is the cat blind in one eye or that just a weird reflection, or perhaps the lizard bit your cat and now it's a Marvel cat?
When It's Warm And Sunny, These Two Orange Goofballs Cuddle Up In The Windowsill. Kitties And Lizards Can Be Friends, Too
It's Called Fashion, Honey
A Game Of Cat And Lizard. This Has Been An All Night Game
You Talking To Me?
Silly Cat, You Are Not A Lizard
He Has His Own Bouncer (Against Other Cats)
One Of My Fluffs With Her Lizard Friend
My Hopeless Hunter: Hour 2 Of Stalking Lizards In The Back Yard
My Cat Likes To Play With Lizards, This One Decided To Fight Back
Cat vs. Lizard
My Cat Spud Gets Into Gible's Enclosure Every Day And Hangs Out In His Basking Spot With Him
When The Prey Attacks Back. The Lizard Clamped Onto Her Whiskers And Wouldn’t Let Go. Paget The Cat Wasn’t Sure What Was Going On, But She Didn’t Like It
Unlikely Friends - Siamese Kitty & Bearded Dragon
Gandalf & Spice The Cat
Cat vs. Lizard
So this is what it looks like the split second before all the other pictures.
Nugget Came Out For A Morning Bask And Our Cat Came To Say Hello
Hermes Caught A Gorgeous Lizard, Wasn't Happy When I Set It Free
Beardie Found A Comfy Spot On My Cat
Lexi (Cat) And Her Friend Larry (Lizard) Watching TV Together
Mulan With One Of My Lizards
An Unlikely Friendship Between My Beardie And Karl The Cat
He Decided To Try To Make Friends With My Cat By Jumping On Him. Cat Not So Enthusiastic About This Approach
Ser Jeffers Befriending A Cat
I Brought My Friend In The House The Other Day, Mom Was Mad
If you let a cat out then you can’t be mad when they do what cats do and bring back prey
My Beardie Smaug Sleeping On My Cat King
Cat Adventure
Winter Morning With The Cat
My Lizard (Bub) Wants To Be Friends With My Daughter's Cat (Nero) So Bad
Poe Showed No Fear Climbing Up My Boyfriend's Slipper With Two Cats Looking Like They Wanted To Eat Her
There’s A Lizard On The Window. They’ve Been Like This For An Hour
Found Our Cat And Beardy Napping Together In The Window Hammock. Busted Lovers
My Little Elliot Seems To Like My Cat
My Cat Is Afraid Of This Ferocious Dragon
This Lizard Battles Our Cat
My Cat Just Realized It's Not An Empty Tank Anymore
My Tegu And Our Cat
She Caught A Lizard
I Recently Moved And Have This Temporary Set Up At A Corner. My Cat Love To Bake With My Bearded Dragon
Cat Uses Bite... It's Not Very Effective
Mr. Baby Was In Little Dudes Way While He Was Running Around The House. He Decided To Walk Over Mr. Baby
My Lizard Thinks The Cats Can Feed Him. Umm
Mama Cat Hunted A Lizard For Her Kitties
Lucy Is Getting Taunted By A Lizard
Cat Has Zero Fear Of Water... Makes For Fun Beardie Baths
My Cat And Lizard
Can Someone Tell Me What Kind Of Lizard My Cat's Playmate Is? (Released Outside Unharmed)
My Power Went Out Due To A Rainstorm The Other Day So Baby Decided To Keep The Lizard Warm
Moo Moo Catches/Watches A Lizard
My Cat Loves To Hang Out With My Friend's Lizard
Just My Wee Cat Kissing My Lizards
My Anderpuff Met A Lizard Friend, And It Melted Me
Left The Room And Came Back To My Cat Inside Harvey's Tank. No Beardies Harmed
Lately They've Been Inseparable. Cobra (Beardie) Arya (Cat)
Lizard Hunting
The Cat Does Not Understand
Arlo Is Getting His Daily Dose Of Cuddles With The Cat. Also It Was His Birthday 2 Days Ago
Sharing Yard Supervision Duties With My Friend's Cat
This Lizard Comes Up To The Window And Drives My Cats Crazy Everyday At Dawn And Dusk
Cat vs. Lizard
Lizard Meets Cat. (My Fire Skink Ogan And My Cat Minnie)
Frank The Cat And Artie Hanging Out In The Screened In Porch
Someday She'll Get This Lizard
This Kitten Tamed A Lizard And They Are Napping Together
Cooper vs. Lizard
My Cat Caught A Lizard
My Cat Loves To Bring Lizards Inside The House And "Play" With Them Until They Crawl Off And Die. Found This Today Under The Carpet
Neighbor's Cat Having A Stare Off With My Pet Lizard
The Cat Is Very Curious
Trying To Introduce My Cat To Thorn. But She Got Scared And Ran Away
I Can't Tell If Fig Likes The Cats Or If He Just Likes Antagonizing Them. The Cat Was Asleep And He Crawled Over Next To Her Either Way
Cats Eating Lizards Is Normal Right?
This Stray Got A Small Lizard To Play With. Eventually He Ate It
Lizard populations are on the decline world wide so if you do see your cat trying to eat a lizard, try save the lizard. Some of these pics were cut tho!
True! My kitty and Bearded dragon are buddies too!
Load More Replies...Sure the pet lizard ones may be cool, and I am def a cat lover, but many of these pictures actually highlight a huge environmental issue: cats are responsible for decimating countless wildlife, including lizards, frogs, native birds and mammals. It can be hard to control a cat's movement but pet owners should be aware of this
You don't live in Florida where we are overrun with invasive lizards.
Load More Replies...I had no idea so many people kept lizards for pets. Also lizard cat love seems unholy. Lol
My cat catches our little lizards in the basement and brings them (unharmed) to us to put outside.
I appreciate we're talking about cats and their hunting instincts is a fair few of these photos... but it is also apparent that they can live in happy coexistence. I choose to encourage the latter...
This was fun to see, so many lizards, some as pets and cats love them, I do wonder, after reading the danger of cats biting a lizard, I would ask a vet about the dangers !!!
i don't understand this post, why make it at all if you're also going to bury the info about how toxic lizards can be to cats right in the middle of it?
NawalInstaa and Amelia get a room. there is a good invention called the phone!
Why would you post these awesomely cute pictures and basically include a lecture why they shouldn't exist??
Guess it makes sense, cats & lizards share a love of sun & warmth. Just know a lizard wouldn't survive in my home. She's got her eye on squirrel too.
Lizard populations are on the decline world wide so if you do see your cat trying to eat a lizard, try save the lizard. Some of these pics were cut tho!
True! My kitty and Bearded dragon are buddies too!
Load More Replies...Sure the pet lizard ones may be cool, and I am def a cat lover, but many of these pictures actually highlight a huge environmental issue: cats are responsible for decimating countless wildlife, including lizards, frogs, native birds and mammals. It can be hard to control a cat's movement but pet owners should be aware of this
You don't live in Florida where we are overrun with invasive lizards.
Load More Replies...I had no idea so many people kept lizards for pets. Also lizard cat love seems unholy. Lol
My cat catches our little lizards in the basement and brings them (unharmed) to us to put outside.
I appreciate we're talking about cats and their hunting instincts is a fair few of these photos... but it is also apparent that they can live in happy coexistence. I choose to encourage the latter...
This was fun to see, so many lizards, some as pets and cats love them, I do wonder, after reading the danger of cats biting a lizard, I would ask a vet about the dangers !!!
i don't understand this post, why make it at all if you're also going to bury the info about how toxic lizards can be to cats right in the middle of it?
NawalInstaa and Amelia get a room. there is a good invention called the phone!
Why would you post these awesomely cute pictures and basically include a lecture why they shouldn't exist??
Guess it makes sense, cats & lizards share a love of sun & warmth. Just know a lizard wouldn't survive in my home. She's got her eye on squirrel too.