Dachshund Lives To Regret Invading Kittens' Space—'Doesn't Stand A Chance'

A dachshund found herself surrounded and in desperate need of backup after attempting to steal some food from a litter of kittens.

Callie, the 7-year-old canine, was left regretting her decision to go sniffing around the young felines' food bowls during a day visit to see her owner's mom, Misty Medlock from Florida.

Before she could even get close enough to take a bite, the kittens, whom Medlock is fostering, had descended, adopting what's commonly known as the "Halloween cat" pose of standing with their back arched, hair on end and their tails standing to attention.

According to Dr. Audrey Wystrach, a veterinarian as well as founder and CEO of the vet clinic Petfolk, the "Halloween cat" pose is often the result of the feline involved feeling fearful.

"When a cat feels threatened, it will assume this 'bigger' appearance to ward off any threats... the 'puffed up' appearance is first and foremost a defense mechanism," she told Yahoo Life. "This is a way for a cat to make itself look bigger and more adversarial when confronted with danger."

Medlock told Newsweek this was "their first encounter with a dog that they actually remember" and that Callie had never had any issues with them before. "She never sniffed or bothered them, they just didn't like her presence," she said.

The mistake was letting her on their turf. "I allowed Callie into my bedroom where I keep the kittens. She walked into my bathroom because I am sure she smelled food," Medlock said. "Next thing we know she is surrounded at the bathroom door by 'Halloween kitties'. None of us were expecting that. I have fostered for years and have never seen such a thing."

The resulting standoff was captured on camera and posted to Medlock's TikTok account, misty_liketheweather, where it has already been watched over 4.8 million times. In the video, Medlock can be heard laughing at the dramatic scene playing out in front of her with four of the kitten stock still staring at Callie who, according to the caption "doesn't stand a chance."

But while it's an adorable moment, the kittens can certainly be forgiven for feeling a little apprehensive about their uninvited canine guest, given what they have gone through.

An avid cat owner who already has six felines living under her roof, the kittens' mom, Buttercup, was one of several cats Medlock rescued after spotting them wandering the streets while driving home one night. "I foster dogs for Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida but my heart is with CATS!" she said.

Buttercup was two weeks away from giving birth to her kittens when Medlock took them in. "It was recommended by the cat rescue group that I spay Buttercup and her unborn kittens be aborted," Medlock said. "While I understood why they wanted to do this, I declined."

The momma cat eventually gave birth to five healthy kittens on August 7 and, with the help of friends and family, Medlock was able to find the food and litter needed to ensure they stayed happy and healthy. Tragically, Buttercup had to be put down when the kittens were 5 weeks old after being diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). "So I became their full-time mom," she said.

Buttercup gave birth to three girls and two boys. Two black kittens, Matilda (fluffy one) and Kelsey, and two tabbies named Crockett and Tubbs. Their other sibling, who is a blue point Siamese, has already been placed in a new home. Owners have been found for all four kittens already. "They are going in pairs," Medlock said. "Matilda and Crockett will go off together and then Kelsey and Tubbs."

For now, though, the kittens have established a home in Medlock's bathroom, so were not too happy with Callie for invading their space. Callie, for her part, clearly realized she had overstepped the mark that day.

"Clearly Callie chose to trust her gut that day and just give the gremlins their space. I don't think she was scared but she was cautious," Medlock said. "What makes it funny is that Callie could easily take them out or just run through them and they would run. The fact that she didn't is just too cute. I did go over and pick her up so she did not have to walk through the kitty gauntlet."

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