*russia

Adding video to channels (Russia) - requested by RedSky.

What we have here is a translation issue: a clear example of how cats and dogs simply do not understand each other's body language.

The dog starts by trying to determine where he stands in the pack hierarchy with regards to the cat, albeit with all his aggressiveness tempered by the humans standing around him and showing some favoritism (or at least protection towards) the cat. When the cat refuses to react in a predictable dog-like manner, the dog takes the cat's glowering stare to mean the cat is the alpha and goes into full submissive mode... and when that doesn't work, he whines in confusion.

Meanwhile, the cat sees all this as the stalking of a potentially hostile carnivore who is significantly larger than it, and has ears back, eyes wide and is ready to swat at its opponent if this strange creature becomes to aggressive.

It's not that cats and dogs dislike each other: they just don't speak the same language. Eventually, the housemates will probably work out a sort of patios between them (more on the part of the dog than the cat) and will come to a more comfortable understanding.

It's not that the cat doesn't want to play; he simply doesn't understand that the dog is making an invitation.

I think you meant to type.... "Awe, look, they're totally High-fiving!
Best Buds ever!!!!"

OMG, you're right. I keep making that mistake; those keys are right next together. ;-)

That cat has got the "I've seen some shit." look on his face.

Precisely.

I've found it helps to introduce the cat to the dog when it's a kitten; doesn't matter what age the dog is, however, as every dog I've owned usually enjoys the introduction of a new kitten no matter what age it is.

Older cats, on the other hand... yeesh. You never know. They may have permanent grudges that end with a scratched up dog nose.