Treecat vs Earth's apex predators

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:But an empathic advantage against a grizzly bear might enable a Cat to blind the bear by clawing out his eyes.

Might. Clawing the eyes would work on any predator, including the Hexapuma and Peak Bear.

Good point. In fact, I can imagine that that is the only tactic available to a single Cat or clan when attacking a Puma; and I imagine that that was the tactic used in the one encounter you posted upstream. Thanks btw.

But a hexapuma is a very big beast and if its strength is proportional to its size, he can kill a Cat with a single swipe of his claws. Even backhanded. I'm talking about a one punch knockout. That leaves the problem of how to get to its eyes. They could try to bring it to its knees, and I don't see that happening, or attacking all at once trying to scurry up its backside. Or, perhaps treecats can use a tactic like ants and form a ladder and leap off the top of the many piles formed.

But all and all I can't shake the image of the documentary that chronicled the aftermath of a pack of hyenas, led by its leader, attacking a lone pack of female lions and killing a cub. The big bad male lion finally returned and she told him all about it. The male lion sought out the hyenas and attacked the entire pack killing the leader and torturing it right in front of the entire pack. It was something to watch. A pack of hyenas is no pushover. But an angry male lion is to be avoided at all costs.

Or it reminds me of King Kong battling all of those tiny creatures attacking at once. They had the numbers, but Kong is a big, huge S O B. Like the Puma.

cthia wrote:But all and all I can't shake the image of the documentary that chronicled the aftermath of a pack of hyenas, led by its leader, attacking a lone pack of female lions and killing a cub. The big bad male lion finally returned and she told him all about it. The male lion sought out the hyenas and attacked the entire pack killing the leader and torturing it right in front of the entire pack. It was something to watch. A pack of hyenas is no pushover. But an angry male lion is to be avoided at all costs.

I remember seeing that documentary a long time ago, its name is Eternal Enemies. The sight of that big male running is majestic. I found a clip from it on Youtube: Ntwadumela - "he who greets with fire"
But he did not face the hyenas alone, although he did much of the work. That was not intentional torture, just a messy bit of killing.

tlb wrote:Clawing the eyes would work on any predator, including the Hexapuma and Peak Bear.

cthia wrote:Good point. In fact, I can imagine that that is the only tactic available to a single Cat or clan when attacking a Puma; and I imagine that that was the tactic used in the one encounter you posted upstream.

No, I think that the 'cat might have torn up one ear; but there is no mention of blinding before the 'cat was knocked out of the fight. As I said, the 'cat would have died, if the Harrington girl had not had her weapon.

tlb wrote:

tlb wrote:Clawing the eyes would work on any predator, including the Hexapuma and Peak Bear.

cthia wrote:Good point. In fact, I can imagine that that is the only tactic available to a single Cat or clan when attacking a Puma; and I imagine that that was the tactic used in the one encounter you posted upstream.

No, I think that the 'cat might have torn up one ear; but there is no mention of blinding before the 'cat was knocked out of the fight. As I said, the 'cat would have died, if the Harrington girl had not had her weapon.

Well, if he tore up one ear, it might suggest that he was going for the eyes but the Puma had something to say about it.

In the Maccabeus coup, didn't Nimitz claw someone's eyes out? Treecats are very intelligent. They are as intelligent as humans. And when humans are losing a fight - especially a woman but even a man as well - they will often go for the eyes. This should be a natural tactic for a very intelligent treecat.

cthia wrote:In the Maccabeus coup, didn't Nimitz claw someone's eyes out?

I count at least four people blinded by him, but once Honor joined the fight the narrative focused more on her efforts.

Treecats have opposable thumbs, and that genetic trait is responsible for humans being able to use tools, bestowed upon us by the ability to grasp an object or, hint hint, grasp a weapon.

Treecats are reported to use tools as well. They can also grasp a weapon. With creatures the size of Pumas living on Sphinx, a Treecat should have an abundance of bones to use as hammers. A Cat's claws may not be deep enough to penetrate the thick coat of a Puma, but a big bone can be used to knock the brains out of one of them. I imagine a Cat has a lot of energy in his swing.

<Knock the living puma out of him with that bone!>

cthia wrote:I imagine a Cat has a lot of energy in his swing.

Why do you think that? Short arms will not have much leverage. While large, heavy bones will slow the 'cat down compared to the predator's paw flick, that can beak bones.

Anyway, why bother with clubs? Now that they can carry and use pulsers, Game Over!

cthia wrote:But a hexapuma is a very big beast and if its strength is proportional to its size, he can kill a Cat with a single swipe of his claws. Even backhanded. I'm talking about a one punch knockout. That leaves the problem of how to get to its eyes. They could try to bring it to its knees, and I don't see that happening, or attacking all at once trying to scurry up its backside. Or, perhaps treecats can use a tactic like ants and form a ladder and leap off the top of the many piles formed.

Drop from someplace above the target. The 'cat's power is agility, it has to use hit-and-run attacks. Note, also, that Earth cats are sprinters, they can't maintain high exertion rates. Lone cats have a big problem protecting their rear from pack hunters.

cthia wrote:Treecats have opposable thumbs, and that genetic trait is responsible for humans being able to use tools, bestowed upon us by the ability to grasp an object or, hint hint, grasp a weapon.

Treecats are reported to use tools as well. They can also grasp a weapon. With creatures the size of Pumas living on Sphinx, a Treecat should have an abundance of bones to use as hammers. A Cat's claws may not be deep enough to penetrate the thick coat of a Puma, but a big bone can be used to knock the brains out of one of them. I imagine a Cat has a lot of energy in his swing.

<Knock the living puma out of him with that bone!>

'cats are too small to make effective use of impact weapons. They have to use slashing or piercing weapons.

Loren Pechtel wrote:

cthia wrote:Treecats have opposable thumbs, and that genetic trait is responsible for humans being able to use tools, bestowed upon us by the ability to grasp an object or, hint hint, grasp a weapon.

Treecats are reported to use tools as well. They can also grasp a weapon. With creatures the size of Pumas living on Sphinx, a Treecat should have an abundance of bones to use as hammers. A Cat's claws may not be deep enough to penetrate the thick coat of a Puma, but a big bone can be used to knock the brains out of one of them. I imagine a Cat has a lot of energy in his swing.

<Knock the living puma out of him with that bone!>

'cats are too small to make effective use of impact weapons. They have to use slashing or piercing weapons.

I yield to you and tlb on this. I forgot to consider the physique of the Cats while obsessed with those opposable thumbs. Which allow them to grip pulsers. Thanks for prompting me to get a grip.