Forget dogs: who's been attacked by a cat while commuting on a bike?
04-21-12, 08:08 AM
#26
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Had to look this up, remembered it from 1996 when I lived in Washington state. A mt biker in Olympic Nat'l Park, possibly world's luckiest human that day.
When the cat came at him, he started running backwards, he said. He figured the cougar weighed about 80 pounds. The cougar kept coming, then leapt at Anderson's chest. Anderson fell to his back, locked his legs around the cougar, flipped over and buried his thumbs in the animal's throat. He kept the front paws pinned back with his forearms, he said. He had the cat pretty much subdued, but it wouldn't die. "I was watching him go in and out," Anderson said. "We were at a stalemate." To his surprise, the cat made no noise while it struggled, Anderson said. He, however, was shouting for help.After about two and a half or three minutes, the cat still wriggling, Anderson got his thumb in the cougar's mouth. He just smashed it," Anderson said. That gave the cat the edge. As Anderson lost his grip, that cat's claws went into a whirl, ripping at the thick, baggy sweatshirt. Some of the claws caught Anderson's chest. "He put a lot more holes in my sweatshirt than he did in me," Anderson said. Not wanting any more, the combatants exploded away from each other and ran. Anderson ran down the trail, grabbed a baseball bat in his van and returned for his bike. The cat had stuck around, still looking for food. "He carried off my bag with four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in it," Anderson said.
The full story here: https://cycling.ahands.org/bikecougar.html
When the cat came at him, he started running backwards, he said. He figured the cougar weighed about 80 pounds. The cougar kept coming, then leapt at Anderson's chest. Anderson fell to his back, locked his legs around the cougar, flipped over and buried his thumbs in the animal's throat. He kept the front paws pinned back with his forearms, he said. He had the cat pretty much subdued, but it wouldn't die. "I was watching him go in and out," Anderson said. "We were at a stalemate." To his surprise, the cat made no noise while it struggled, Anderson said. He, however, was shouting for help.After about two and a half or three minutes, the cat still wriggling, Anderson got his thumb in the cougar's mouth. He just smashed it," Anderson said. That gave the cat the edge. As Anderson lost his grip, that cat's claws went into a whirl, ripping at the thick, baggy sweatshirt. Some of the claws caught Anderson's chest. "He put a lot more holes in my sweatshirt than he did in me," Anderson said. Not wanting any more, the combatants exploded away from each other and ran. Anderson ran down the trail, grabbed a baseball bat in his van and returned for his bike. The cat had stuck around, still looking for food. "He carried off my bag with four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in it," Anderson said.
The full story here: https://cycling.ahands.org/bikecougar.html
04-21-12, 08:17 AM
#27
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I used to have a Maine Coon cat (or actually, I was part of his live in staff) and he was huge. Kids used to wonder if he was a dog, and I had one person ask me if i was in the wrong waiting room at the vets (they had separate waiting rooms for cars and dogs).
04-22-12, 05:18 AM
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I've been chased by Canada geese in nesting season. Wouldn't want to have something that big tangled up with my front wheel.
Cats are usually pretty wary of large moving objects, so it's unusual to see a domestic cat getting near anywhere near bikes in motion. Ours won't even come near us when we're on the trainers in winter, and he's had 18 years to get used to the idea.
Cats are usually pretty wary of large moving objects, so it's unusual to see a domestic cat getting near anywhere near bikes in motion. Ours won't even come near us when we're on the trainers in winter, and he's had 18 years to get used to the idea.
04-22-12, 07:49 AM
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Being eaten on your commute would definitely suck. Gotta move to New Zealand where the larges predator is a house cat, oh and dogs perhaps 
04-22-12, 07:58 AM
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whoa.
my old roommate's Maine Coon was around 20# and would bring home crows as well as terrorize the (much larger than him) dogs in the neighborhood. if a dog he had not previously subdued walked by the house he would climb up the screen door and start shaking it trying to get out / at the dog. thankfully he liked me....
my old roommate's Maine Coon was around 20# and would bring home crows as well as terrorize the (much larger than him) dogs in the neighborhood. if a dog he had not previously subdued walked by the house he would climb up the screen door and start shaking it trying to get out / at the dog. thankfully he liked me....
04-22-12, 10:19 AM
#31
Vegan on a bicycle
magpies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wHreVKgOT4
the largest predators here are logging trucks 
https://www.google.com/search?q=site...uck%22+cyclist
https://www.google.com/search?q=site...uck%22+cyclist
04-22-12, 11:24 AM
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There are definitely mountain lions out here, as well as bears. Back in the valley, a cougar and I surprised each other on a logging road, but we both beat cheeks in opposite directions. He was trotting along at a fairly good clip, don't think he was expecting a crazy runner to come at him from around the corner.
Despite the large carnivores, the animals I really worry about here are elk. The cows and calves in the spring/summer, and the rutting bulls.
Despite the large carnivores, the animals I really worry about here are elk. The cows and calves in the spring/summer, and the rutting bulls.
04-22-12, 12:29 PM
#33
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No large predator cats to worry about on my commute, there are mountain lions in the area, but most stay solitary in the wood areas, and avoid humans.
I did come face to face with a cow moose, along with her two calves, definitely was a bad scene.
I did come face to face with a cow moose, along with her two calves, definitely was a bad scene.
04-22-12, 12:43 PM
#34
Shimano Certified
X2 on that. I had a pit bull chasing me once when I was 12 and I had just found a nice peice of bar stock on the road a little before that(as a scavenger/builder). It chased me as fast as I could go for almost half a mile and went in for the kill. I dropped the bar in front of it's legs and it never chased me after that, it would just stand at the side of it's yard and bark.
04-22-12, 02:13 PM
#35
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Not yet, but there is a cougar that haunts part of my route. I found a deer it got once.
04-22-12, 06:33 PM
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magpies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wHreVKgOT4
the largest predators here are logging trucks
https://www.google.com/search?q=site...uck%22+cyclist
the largest predators here are logging trucks
https://www.google.com/search?q=site...uck%22+cyclist
04-22-12, 06:39 PM
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I've been chased by Canada geese in nesting season. Wouldn't want to have something that big tangled up with my front wheel.
Cats are usually pretty wary of large moving objects, so it's unusual to see a domestic cat getting near anywhere near bikes in motion. Ours won't even come near us when we're on the trainers in winter, and he's had 18 years to get used to the idea.
Cats are usually pretty wary of large moving objects, so it's unusual to see a domestic cat getting near anywhere near bikes in motion. Ours won't even come near us when we're on the trainers in winter, and he's had 18 years to get used to the idea.
04-22-12, 06:48 PM
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I've been attacked by Canadian geese on the golf course, but fortunately the colonies on are regular bike routes tend to nest off the road far enough that we don't violate their territory.
04-22-12, 06:48 PM
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04-22-12, 07:12 PM
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I was chased/stalked by a Mt. Lion once in No. California. Once I realized what was happening I dismounted (there is no outrunning something like that), put the bike between us and had an aggressive stare-down.
Really, stopping and taking an aggressive stance was all it took. The thing wandered away after a minute or so. Not meaning to turn this onto a CCW while riding discussion; but, yes, I had drawn and had my pistol in my hand. It is actually the only time I have ever drawn on a bike ride.
But, like I said, nothing exciting happened, it wandered a way and I waited untill I felt it was really gone, then I rode away. When they are close, and with no separation, they look big; probably looked bigger than it was. My biggest regret about it was that I didn't have my camera with me.
Really, stopping and taking an aggressive stance was all it took. The thing wandered away after a minute or so. Not meaning to turn this onto a CCW while riding discussion; but, yes, I had drawn and had my pistol in my hand. It is actually the only time I have ever drawn on a bike ride.
But, like I said, nothing exciting happened, it wandered a way and I waited untill I felt it was really gone, then I rode away. When they are close, and with no separation, they look big; probably looked bigger than it was. My biggest regret about it was that I didn't have my camera with me.
04-22-12, 07:22 PM
#41
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A couple years ago a guy I know in Boulder was out for one of his usual trail runs in the edges of the mtns. He decided it was time to take a brief break, so he paused, pull out his water bottle...then saw the mtn lion stalking him. He used the make-yourself-look-big-and-make-lots-of noise tactic. The cat finally went away, but it really freaked him out. He had been running those mtn trails for years and never had that happen before.
04-22-12, 08:51 PM
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It's very common where I live to use geese in lieu of dogs as watch animals. They make way more noise, and can't be bribed/distracted like dogs can.
04-24-12, 04:52 PM
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Riding down the sidewalk in my neighborhood I noticed a little black cat waiting at the corner of someone's yard. As I approached it went into "pounce" mode. It kept up with me, still in the yard, as it 'chased' me down and stopped the game as it reached the end of the yard. It then looked pleased with itself as I rode off. I never did see it again.
This didn't surprise me all that much. One of my cats growls at strangers walking up to the house and acts like a dog by keeping "watch" over the street.
This didn't surprise me all that much. One of my cats growls at strangers walking up to the house and acts like a dog by keeping "watch" over the street.
04-24-12, 08:41 PM
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My cat is convinced he can take out the elk and deer that he can see through our window if I'd just let him out. I've tried to explain the perspective issue to him, but he won't listen.
04-24-12, 09:23 PM
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My buddy was riding on the edge of Boulder many years ago, Sunshine Canyon I think, and he stopped to fiddle with his shoe near a little creek crossing on the road when he saw a mountain lion a dozen feet away in the brush staring at him. He lifted up the front with the bike wheel pointed between him and the cat, shouting "Hey!" He spun the wheel, which in the sunset light sparkled a bit and he ran the back of his fingernails on the spokes making their "musical" noise which the cat could not abide. A couple of weeks later they eventually hunted down that cat, it was seen at a school bus stop in the morning less than a mile from that spot and it freaked everyone out.
04-25-12, 11:00 AM
#46
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A couple years ago a guy I know in Boulder was out for one of his usual trail runs in the edges of the mtns. He decided it was time to take a brief break, so he paused, pull out his water bottle...then saw the mtn lion stalking him. He used the make-yourself-look-big-and-make-lots-of noise tactic. The cat finally went away, but it really freaked him out. He had been running those mtn trails for years and never had that happen before.
04-25-12, 02:10 PM
#47
It's true, man.
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I'm pretty sure I ran over a mid sized bobcat on a mountain bike trail near home, years ago.
It was pitch dark, in some trees and I had a cheesy 10 watt halogen helmet light. An owl was flying in the beam in front of me, apparently using my light to look for trailsnacks, I was grooving on that when the cat came in. It seemed to have run in between my front wheel and bottom bracket, yowled as the frame hit it, whacked/clawed the crap out of my right ankle, then the back wheel went over it, it yowled again like a cougar (it wasn't) and disappeared. I stopped and looked around, saw no blood except on my ankle. At that point, I realized I had a flat rear tire, so I fixed that and rode on. About a half mile later, near the end of the trail, 3 young feral hogs ran across in front of me, and I almost nailed the slowest one. That was a wild night.
It was pitch dark, in some trees and I had a cheesy 10 watt halogen helmet light. An owl was flying in the beam in front of me, apparently using my light to look for trailsnacks, I was grooving on that when the cat came in. It seemed to have run in between my front wheel and bottom bracket, yowled as the frame hit it, whacked/clawed the crap out of my right ankle, then the back wheel went over it, it yowled again like a cougar (it wasn't) and disappeared. I stopped and looked around, saw no blood except on my ankle. At that point, I realized I had a flat rear tire, so I fixed that and rode on. About a half mile later, near the end of the trail, 3 young feral hogs ran across in front of me, and I almost nailed the slowest one. That was a wild night.
04-25-12, 02:40 PM
#48
Commander, UFO Bike
Beware of Cat (bring sardines)
I've had several close encounters with cats on the trail...
Trail Cats...
It's the kamakazi squirrels that you need to look out for...
Trail Cats...
It's the kamakazi squirrels that you need to look out for...
04-25-12, 03:59 PM
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[QUOTE=I wonder how often people think a puma is stalking them, when it's just watching them. My cats follow me around the yard supervising me as I do my chores. They keep their distance usually and it could easily be interpreted as stalking.[/QUOTE]
That has to be true, cyclists do not look or sound like their ordinary meal. Which reminded me why the usually tree hugging Boulderites hunted this cat down, he had been thoroughly enjoying his breakfast of a small deer at the little snowflakes bus stop. Possibly vegans for life, now. Here in Tucson every few years there is a rush to judgement on how much interest the big cats are taking of people and their pets, they have relocated a few but most have just been shot.
That has to be true, cyclists do not look or sound like their ordinary meal. Which reminded me why the usually tree hugging Boulderites hunted this cat down, he had been thoroughly enjoying his breakfast of a small deer at the little snowflakes bus stop. Possibly vegans for life, now. Here in Tucson every few years there is a rush to judgement on how much interest the big cats are taking of people and their pets, they have relocated a few but most have just been shot.
04-25-12, 04:13 PM
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That has to be true, cyclists do not look or sound like their ordinary meal. Which reminded me why the usually tree hugging Boulderites hunted this cat down, he had been thoroughly enjoying his breakfast of a small deer at the little snowflakes bus stop. Possibly vegans for life, now. Here in Tucson every few years there is a rush to judgement on how much interest the big cats are taking of people and their pets, they have relocated a few but most have just been shot.
https://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3716178