Dog's Method of Trying To Evict Cat From His Bed 5 Times Delights Internet

A cat and dog passive-aggressively fighting over space on a bed has delighted viewers on TikTok, garnering over two million views on the platform.

In the video, posted by Nate Petroski, Minion, a nine-year-old pug/dachshund/Chihuahua cross, can be seen trying to reclaim his bed from Dagger the tabby cat.

"Dagger always wants to be close to Minion, and Minion wants the bed to himself so he keeps dumping Dagger out of it and laying back down, Petroski, 39, told Newsweek.

Petroski lives off grid in Roane County, West Virginia, where he uses solar power and raises animals, foraging in the woods for food.

"I found Minion abandoned under my car one day, and he's been with me for nine years," he said. "Dagger is a farm cat I got as a kitten about a year ago. He keeps the mice and rodents at bay on the homestead."

A voiceover says, "I've watched this happen four times in a row now...It all starts with Minion laying in his bed and Dagger getting in to the bed too, usually on top of Minion, Minion gets annoyed and uncomfortable, kind of shifts around...Minion then gets out of the bed, lifts it up, drags it away then moves it back where he wants it, then suddenly he's by himself and he's like 'oh cool I can lay down and relax'—and then he sees Dagger."

In the video, Dagger then comes over and starts the whole process again. "It's not like there aren't other beds," the voiceover says, "but Dagger really just wants to hang out here, so does Minion, so they're kind of battling over it.

"The animals enrich my life by being companions, providing entertainment and fulfilling necessary roles on the homestead," said Petroski. "For example, the ducks provide eggs, meat and keep the bugs down, the cats keep rodents from destroying food and infrastructure. Minion alerts me to anything unusual on the farm. More animals are planned over the next few years."

Dagger and Minion are literally 'fighting like cats and dogs,' but is the stereotype that felines and canines can't get along really true?

"The origin of the phrase "fighting like cats and dogs" is somewhat ambiguous, dating back a few hundred years, but the domestication of cats and dogs factors into the equation," according to the website of Hill's Pet Nutrition. "Evidence of dogs and cats living together dates back much further, about 12,000 years, to the time when cats were first domesticated as the world shifted to an agrarian-based economy and farmers needed good mousers to keep the rats and other pests out of the food storage areas.

"However," argues Hill's, "as new DNA research shows, dogs were domesticated as long as 40,000 years ago, mainly as hunting companions."

Cats and dogs may take a minute to adjust to each other, but Hill's said that if you want both, it's not an unobtainable dream. "One of the best ways of achieving this relationship is to invest time and patience in the introduction period between the two pets, including socialization. Who knows, one day, your cat and dog may end up snuggling together," argued Hill's.

Users in the comments loved the tense video.

"This is Minion, Minion likes his personal space. This is Dagger, Dagger also likes Minions personal space," said one user. "Dagger just wants to spread the love to everyone," said another user.

Update 6/22/23 5:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Nate Petroski and a new video and picture.

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