This intense rivalry between a cat and a rabbit is one for the ages
In every Shakespearean play, only one character rises to the top. Power isn't shared among an alliance of equals. It's won, by machination or brute force.
The same goes for every family with more than one pet, especially when one of those pets is a rabbit. Bunnies aren't here for your democratic socialist power-sharing utopia. They want totalitarian control or absolute isolation.
Just take a look at this video recently posted by Twitter user @TheDreamGhoul, who understands the internecine power struggle between her rabbit and her cat for control of the cat's bed.
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These 46 seconds are psychologically rich, my friends.
Look at how the rabbit, Jasper, uses just domain to take total control of the cat bed. It's clear he doesn't have any understanding of private property, or perhaps more toxically, automatically assumed this territory is his.
The cat, Luna, is immobilized with horror. Jasper has broken into her home without facing any censure from the pet criminal justice system. She initially attempts a nonviolent, peacemaking approach, before escalating the situation and choosing to physically engage with her paws.
Luna's efforts are futile. Jasper assumes total control of the plushy pet bed kingdom.
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Here's how TheDreamGhoul, their owner, describes the two's power dynamics:
"He’s ten years old (100 in bunny years) and so he’s elderly and really likes to keep to his hutch," @TheDreamGhoul told Mashable over direct message. "But ... he is completely oblivious to my cat’s grudge, he just goes about his bunny business while she fumes about it. It’s hilarious to watch."
Jasper often appropriates private feline property without asking for permission.
Context is required to understand the full depth of Luna and Jasper's relationship. Historically, Luna the cat was the "power top" among pets:
"She came to me after she didn’t work out at some other homes because she is actually a very big bully," TheDreamGhoul told Mashable. "She would attack cats and humans and even dogs in the home at random. She didn’t bully my dog too bad so I kept her. She is much better now but still definitely can be a bully to literally everyone except the rabbit. She’s been afraid of him from day one."
Luna apparently only became interested in her own cat bed only after Jasper expressed interest. This is the kind of material that keeps people in psychoanalysis for years.
"I bought that bed probably three months ago, and she showed ZERO interest in it until the bunny took a liking to it," TheDreamGhoul told Mashable. "Now it’s her favorite spot."
Look at how Jasper radiates absolute, brutal dominance.
Luna apparently only approaches Jasper when he is securely in a cage. This is the most intricate form of power plays.
Resistance, at its most tentative.
Cats might be some of the most aggressive power players in the pet kingdom. Despite their size they often dominate dogs, in physical spaces and historically in digital ones.
But in this monarchy, the bunny is the supreme leader. The cat is the subject.
All hail King Jasper.
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Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.
