"When you're scared of the ginger cat, so you have to wait for the nice cat to create a safe path down the stairs for you", joked her owner on TikTok.
The clip shows the Australian Shepherd standing awkwardly in the middle of the stairs, while the ginger cat calmly claims the step below.
Bigger but not braver
"She doesn't understand she's bigger than him", explained Penny's human.
And there's no doubt from the footage that she's right. The sweet pup waits until the moment the black and white makes a move, shielding her enough that she feels she can quickly run past.
The "police cat escort"
"The dog had the police cat escort her to safety", wrote an amused viewer.
"Size doesn’t always matter. Fear is a strong emotion. Glad the dog had the nice cat", replied another.
While it can be surprising, it isn't uncommon for dogs to be afraid of cats- even when they're much bigger and physically stronger. This is thought to stem from past experiences, such as a scratch from a cat when the dog was a puppy. Even once they're fully grown, they still know this reaction is possible, so they cleverly keep a respectful distance.
