In the eyes of the cat, the family baby reaching for the rail spells danger, and instinctively it sits poised, ready to prevent the potential calamity.
Watching intently as the boy—still too small even to see over the wall—explores his surroundings, the cat makes a move, gently but oh-so-quickly swatting the boy’s probing hands.
The 1-year-old staggers back, but tenaciously returns to grab again. The custodial cat swats again; before deftly and lightly leaping upon the balcony wall—seemingly without fear for its own safety—to place its body between the baby and the (seemingly) wide open air.
Humorously, the cat’s tact proves effective, dampening the boy’s interest in the ledge. Gayly, the infant trots off back inside in search of more curiosities to explore and discover.
The clip was captured in Bucaramanga, Colombia, in January, and it went viral, amassing over 43 million views and tens of thousands of comments.
“Wow, that was freaking me out at first, I thought the little guy was going to pull himself up,” wrote one netizen. “That cat’s intuition is amazing. He actually saved his life, unbelievable!”
Yet, the cat’s instinctive response to a perceived threat only speaks of the selfless, heroic natures of these lovable, furry family members.
