Hi Kitty!

**The SnowShow** · 10-22-2015, 10:48 AM

http://mbaction.com/home-page/video-...mountain-biker

Fuuuuucking freaky!

**babybear** · 10-22-2015, 11:09 AM

holy moly who needs to watch scary movies when you have that in real life

pretty much one of my worst fears when on my mtb

I had goosebumps the whole 5 minutes watching that

**TBS** · 10-22-2015, 11:15 AM

We have mtn lions living around our trail system in Central Oregon Cascades - have been several sightings of her with cubs near what is called the Hello Kitty Connector trail. Nothing so in your face though

**plugboots** · 10-22-2015, 11:30 AM

Great to watch that. I've seen 3 in the wild, and only one on the trail while heading to a river to fly fish. I came over a rise, and there it was. It stared at me and turned around and walked down the trail the other way. From reading "The Beast in the Garden", it seems without wolves especially, the specie is just getting bold.

**creaky fossil** · 10-22-2015, 11:39 AM

A little bit of typical MBFiction creativity there, saying the cat is "stalking." I'm pretty sure only that cat knew whether it was stalking, and if so, what it was stalking.

Cats don't just go looking for humans to attack kill and eat. Of course to people raised on fairy tales told in an asphalt and concrete ecosystem, it's likely that every single non-domesticated canid or feline is just rapaciously hungry and eager to taste human flesh.

It's good for humans to receive those occasional reminders that we're just imagining ourselves as Top Of The Food Chain, when in truth, in many situations, we are prey. Whether in the MBFiction situation "prey" was the aim, only that cat knows.

**babybear** · 10-22-2015, 11:45 AM

Well I wd say the 3 of us that commented probably get that

In watching I also thought if the cat is truly stalking him it would have taken the chance when he turned his back and ran for a sec there but it's still a crazy video regardless of the semantics

**joetron** · 10-22-2015, 11:49 AM

Is it just me or did that guy handle that poorly? There were the brief moments when he 'got big', but I feel like he should have been making more noise and 'being big'. Instead it seemed with the camera use, he was being quiet and just making a lot of eye contact...which is no bueno, right?

I spooked one a few years ago up by Mystic Lake in Bozeman. Came around a turn and saw what I first thought was the big ass coyote trotting away from me down the trail...so I kept riding up on it, then I saw the tail swing out and let out an audible "oh fuck!". That got its attention and it jumped up above the trail and disappeared. I found the eye gougiest stick I could find, let my heart rate drop to something reasonable and the sprinted my ass off while holding the stick for the next half mile.

I have always wanted to see one, then was immediately thinking, "I'm good! Don't need that again"

**kidwoo** · 10-22-2015, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by flowtron's ghost

Is it just me or did that guy handle that poorly?

The "selfie"/"shouting and throwing things" ratio was definitely a little off.

**babybear** · 10-22-2015, 11:55 AM

yea I think the dude was far from a textbook response but at least it ended ok- as creeky mentioned the cat didn't seem like it was seriously stalking him

From what I have been taught- yes make yourself big and make some loud noises. Do keep eye contact bc that is like predatory behavior itself,(not sure if this is recommended with a cat with cubs though) give them space- back away in case they were just passing thu- but never turn your back as that is an opportunity for them to easily take you down

**mogul5480** · 10-22-2015, 12:02 PM

That is my biggest fear night riding the Bay Area. It should be noted that the only two fatal maulings in CA in recent history were of mt bikers. Apparently we look a lot like prey when we are in motion.

A fellow TGR guy with whom I ride carries a little knife for defense, but I kind of think that if you are in a staring contest with the lion as in this video, he has already decided you are not dinner. What i worry about is him jumping on your back and biting your neck before you even know he is out there.

On the "being big" front, I wonder if carrying a small spring loaded BB gun and shooting him a bunch in the face would be enough to scare him off? I kind of like having the advantage of distance.

**dtown** · 10-22-2015, 12:18 PM

Isn't the saying if you see a mountain lion hunting/ stalking you, it's too late?

Not sure I would've had the same approach as that guy.

**Dantheman** · 10-22-2015, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by flowtron's ghost

Is it just me or did that guy handle that poorly?

Definitely. Nothing wrong with the eye contact, but the dude should have put the camera down, picked up his bike overhead and been a whole lot louder.

**The SnowShow** · 10-22-2015, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

Definitely. Nothing wrong with the eye contact, but the dude should have put the camera down, picked up his bike overhead and been a whole lot louder.

That's what I was thinking the whole time. Forget the camera and selfie dummy!!!
That growl in the middle of the vid is so creepy. I think I'd pass out from panic after hearing that in real life.

One question - in a situation like this, should you throw rocks at the cat?

**uglymoney** · 10-22-2015, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

Definitely. Nothing wrong with the eye contact, but the dude should have put the camera down, picked up his bike overhead and been a whole lot louder.

I have no experience with cat encounters but I agree. The problem here seems to be that the cat decided this dude was too big to be easy prey and the guy knew it too so he let the cat have a relatively pleasant experience getting too close to a human. The next human might be smaller and this cat may have gained some bravery. The last video of a cat encounter before this one the guy shot the cats with bear spray and sent them packing with something to think about - seems like the better response to me but what do I know. I'd sure as hell keep my bike between myself and the cat and be WAY more aggro than this guy.

**buttahflake** · 10-22-2015, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by kidwoo

The "selfie"/"shouting and throwing things" ratio was definitely a little off.

yeah there seemed like there was plenty of baseball sized rocks to huck, and as he got near that underbrush, what was he thinking?
my arm would be toast from throwing shit

**NW_SKIER** · 10-22-2015, 12:58 PM

At least the cat didn't start eating his mountain bike.

**johnnyg82** · 10-22-2015, 01:09 PM

How many people ride with bear spray?

**jamal** · 10-22-2015, 01:15 PM

Very rarely. Probably if I'm somewhere more remote that has grizzlies. Even when we had a bunch of stuff closed due to bears I didn't bring any when I was on nearby trails.

And yeah that guy should have been way more aggressive there.

**smitchell333** · 10-22-2015, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

One question - in a situation like this, should you throw rocks at the cat?

No, no then you wouldn't have cool video to post on social media

**babybear** · 10-22-2015, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by johnnyg82

How many people ride with bear spray?

We do depending on where and when we're riding
There's a sweet little neoprene belt being made now by a co called 'scat' that holds a can of bear spray nicely. Makes it easier to pull out and use than me trying to rummage thru my camelbak

**creaky fossil** · 10-22-2015, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by baby bear

Well I wd say the 3 of us that commented probably get that

In watching I also thought if the cat is truly stalking him it would have taken the chance when he turned his back and ran for a sec there but it's still a crazy video regardless of the semantics

I wasn't writing from the view of YOU ARE WRONG, I was just commenting. but as long as you want to argue --

nobody but the cat knows what the cat is doing and I don't trust any trustafarian online expert who says he/she knows what a cat is doing, even if this particular trustie got a BS in zoology with a focus on wild felines.

mountain lions aren't just larger versions of housecats, despite the appearances to suggest they're identical in all ways but size

always, the smartest thing to do in a wild encounter is to check for young 'uns the adult might protect, and to NOT pretend you know exactly how to tame the wild critter with "getting big" and other apocrypha.

if you need to know how to handle a wild predator, ask Stuckie. he's the resident expert on everything that Lindahl doesn't comment on.

Originally Posted by jamal

And yeah that guy should have been way more aggressive there.

why, because you can scare a housecat just by stomping a foot?

**babybear** · 10-22-2015, 02:05 PM

sorry I didn't mean to come off LIKE YOU ARE WRONG EITHER- just letting you know that I know plugboots lives and recreates in a place with lions, so do I and not sure about telebob but he seems to know what's up too

I was actually agreeing with you- maybe lost in typing- but no need to throw around insults bc someone has a slightly different opinion anyway. jeez

**steff** · 10-22-2015, 02:10 PM

That was cool to see. Kitty just wanted to hang out for a bit, get a belly rub and some treats or something.

"Stay back!" "I'm bigger than you", "I'm not afraid of you!". Things to say to a high school bully, too bad some cats don't understand English.

**::: :::** · 10-22-2015, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by baby bear

but no need to throw around insults bc someone has a slightly different opinion anyway. jeez

baby bear, meet creaky fossil

**creaky fossil** · 10-22-2015, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by baby bear

sorry I didn't mean to come off LIKE YOU ARE WRONG EITHER- just letting you know that I know plugboots lives and recreates in a place with lions, so do I and not sure about telebob but he seems to know what's up too

I was actually agreeing with you- maybe lost in typing- but no need to throw around insults bc someone has a slightly different opinion anyway. jeez

I apologize for insulting housecats by suggesting they are more predictable than mountain lions.

mea culpa.