Cat v. Gator - what's your take?

Have you seen the video of the Louisiana cat who takes on two alligators and wins? On the one hand, it's pretty awesome that this tough little fellow chased off the alligators, but on the other hand....

What were all those people thinking? I don't know if the cats are strays or if they live at the park. Are they someone's pets?


When I first heard about the video, I didn't realize that it was taking place at a gator park. That more or less explains why the people were videotaping in the first place. There's a grown man standing next to the gator, a child and another cat can be seen a few feet away. Do they not realize how fast an alligator can move when he wants to? The man makes a sudden move at one point, and I'm not sure if he was trying to shoo the cat away or the gator.

I guess the most disturbing thing, besides no one either realizing or caring that alligators are dangerous, is that I'm sure that even if the black cat, the Siamese cat, and the kid had all gotten eaten, the video would probably still be generating millions of hits on YouTube.  Cell phone cameras and the internet have made everyone a "journalist" -- there simply to record images, not to interfere or take part in the event.

Finally, just hearing the description of this brave cat reminded me of my mom's little cat Bitsy. She was up for the world's record as the smallest living cat, but her health was just too poor. Despite her small stature, Bitsy was feisty. She took swipes at much bigger cats, and when we were at a rest area once, she looked like she was about to take off after the industrial lawnmower down the hill. She wasn't afraid of anything, and if she'd run into a gator, well, it's not an experience the gator would soon forget.

So, what are your thoughts about the video of the cat attacking the gator? Harmless fun? No one in real danger? Or a sign of how careless and thoughtless people can be these days?