A North Vancouver house cat named Tigger is making TikTok headlines for winning a face-off with a black bear much larger than him.
Gavin and Cameron Sturrock are rarely fazed by their two-year-old Bengal cat’s behaviour.
Tigger is known for deterring dogs in their Canyon Heights neighbourhood, sparring with his feline brother Taz — even stealing chicken from the family’s kitchen.
But on June 21, Tigger shocked the Sturrock brothers.
“Literally, I was just frozen,” recalled Cameron Friday.
Gavin said he was carrying two boxes of Nerf guns and guards out of the house in preparation for a Nerf war camping trip when he got caught in a battle on his driveway.
A large black bear he’d seen before had returned.
“I didn’t notice right away, but my little cat was just like – he was right here,” said Gavin.
And Tigger had no fear.
“He was two feet away from this bear,” Gavin told Global News Friday.
“I was freaked out, Oh my God, this bear is going to eat my cat right now.”
Gavin said he called Tigger and when the feline didn’t listen to him, he took out his phone and started recording.
”Tigger come back, Tigger…” Gavin is heard narrating on a video of the encounter he posted to TikTok.
Tigger is seen arching his back and walking towards the bear, who then backs up and runs off.
“I saw the cat just chase after the bear and I was like no way,” said Cameron.
With Tigger in pursuit, the animal fled via their backyard and hasn’t been back since.
Not bad for a cat the brothers claim, having already cheated death once.
“He had this disease called FIP, feline infectious peritonitis,” said Gavin.
“It is basically a death sentence.”
With medicine and injections, Gavin said Tigger managed to beat the viral disease.