A Pit Bull's Behavior Towards A Stray Cat Stunned His Owner

So, where did this incident take place then? Well, Flores and Hades are residents of Tijuana, Mexico. While the dog stays at home, the former plies his trade as a dentist, improving the smiles of his patients. Would he be left smiling at the end of this apparent confrontation, though?

It’s a question you can’t help but ask for one simple reason – as a breed, pit bulls have quite an unnerving reputation. Yes, many of you are no doubt aware of the negative stereotypes that follow these dogs around. Then again, if you’re not in the know, don’t worry. We’re about to shed a bit more light on it!

The dogs’ fearsome reputation can be traced all the way back to the breed’s origins. According to the VioVet website, pit bulls were first propagated for an incredibly brutal purpose. Yep, the dogs took part in bull baiting. It was a nasty activity that saw them fight the beast in question, earning the animals their moniker.

And the association with violence didn’t end there, either. VioVet noted that pit bulls were often bred to battle their brethren, too, across the 1800s. Thankfully, the fighting rings were eventually barred, yet as the decades rolled on, they began to emerge again in the United States going into the 1980s.

As a result of that, a new generation of people started to look at pit bulls as an intimidating breed. Plus, that also had an impact on the kind of individuals who wanted to own them. Animal expert Pamela Reid went into some additional detail on that front while speaking to the WebMD website.

Dr. Reid, who works for the ASPCA, told the site, “[Certain people] weren’t focused on the positive attributes of the breed. They were looking for a strong, scary-looking dog.” We wonder how many passers-by have put Flores in that category when he’s gone out for walks with Hades down the years?

Anyway, before we dive into the other stereotypes, we should probably clear something up first. In case you didn’t know, pit bull is essentially a catch-all term to describe numerous dogs. As per WebMD, American pit bull terriers are “technically the only true pit bull,” but there are others, too.

For instance, dogs such as Staffordshire bull terriers and American Staffordshire terriers usually carry the pit bull moniker as well. So at the very least, that’s something to remember for your next animal-themed quiz night! So, now that’s all cleared up, let’s get back to the stigmas.

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to pit bulls is their apparent jaw strength. Specifically, there’s been fears that the dogs can clamp their mouths shut if they bite you. For that reason, some people might’ve thought that Hades should always wear a muzzle whenever he went out with Flores.

Is there any truth to that stereotype, though? Well, not according to the HuffPost website. Apparently, no dog breed on the planet is physically capable of chomping down their jaws in that manner. It’s a misconception that’s somehow gained a lot of traction in the public consciousness over the years.

But what about the overall power of a pit bull’s bite? Are those concerns valid? To answer that, a Canadian paper noted that they’re not the most dangerous. The 2009 University of Guelph report published in the Journal of Anatomy, and titled “Cranial dimensions and forces of biting in the domestic dog,” highlighted that larger dog breeds boasting broad skulls are more powerful in that respect.

Now, while some pit bulls are known for having sizable heads, not every canine that’s part of the breed can say the same. It’s yet another myth that fuels the idea that they’re all fearsome dogs. Sticking with that, though, we can’t help but wonder – why did all this stuff regarding their bites gain so much currency in the first place?

Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise us if the pit bull’s history as a fighter played a role in that. Mind you, Dr. Reid focused on something else while speaking to WebMD. She said, “They are more likely than other breeds to grab a hold of something and to shake.” Could that have added weight to it?

Anyway, the negative stereotypes don’t end there. Another one that’s often associated with pit bulls is bursts of volatile behavior. Yes, unlike other dogs, these pooches are said to be more prone to “snapping,” which in turn puts their human families in danger. So, if we keep that in mind, might Flores be at risk around Hades?

Dr. Reid addressed the broader point during her chat with WebMD. The animal expert stated that pit bulls aren’t a special case when compared to all the different types of dogs out there. In her opinion, there was nothing to suggest they had a higher chance of becoming dangerously erratic as time went on.

Plus, HuffPost backed that up with a striking statistic in July 2014. At the time, the website claimed that on average fewer than 30 fatalities had been attributed to dogs every 12 months. And on top of that, the kinds of canine involved weren’t deemed to be “a factor” in the incidents, either.

And there’s one more stigma that we feel needs to be looked at here. As per HuffPost, lots of people fear that pit bulls aren’t happy sharing homes with different pets. Whether it’s a fellow canine or a feisty feline, those guys could be at risk of an attack.

Are those folk right to be worried? To put it simply – no! Once again, pit bulls aren’t that much different from other dogs in that regard. There’ll be plenty of them who welcome the company, while certain pooches won’t be so friendly. Breed doesn’t really have anything to do with it.

So, that leads us on quite nicely to our next two questions. What kind of pit bull is Hades? Is he in the former or latter category? Well, as we mentioned earlier, his jaw-dropping encounter with a supposedly sworn enemy provided the answers.

Let’s set the scene for you. In March 2020 Flores picked up on a banging noise emanating from his house’s rear door. It was loud enough for the dentist to believe that a neighbor or someone else was trying to get his attention outside. Surprisingly, though, that wasn’t the case.

Yes, Hades was the cause of the racket. That should tell you how strong the pit bull is! Flores looked back on his pet’s behavior while speaking to The Dodo website in April 2020. The owner recalled, “He was desperate and making a lot of noise.” What had sparked that reaction?

Flores was pretty keen to find out, so he ventured into the yard with Hades in tow. The pooch quickly made his way over to the doghouse, before sitting outside its entrance. He wanted his human pal to see something. But when the Tijuana resident nervously peered in, the sight took his breath away.

Remarkably, Hades had allowed a homeless cat to settle inside his house. Flores soon recognized her as the beautiful feline he’d been trying to feed from time to time. As per The Dodo, she’d usually kept her distance whenever he’d encountered her, yet that hadn’t stopped the dentist from putting down kitty nibbles.

Mind you, there was even more to this surprise than Flores first thought. You see, when he took a closer look at the cat, he realized that she was carrying kittens. Yep, it appeared that the animal had been searching for a spot to give birth, with Hades more than happy to offer his home in the yard.

That’s at least one negative pit bull stereotype that doesn’t apply to Hades! As for what happened next, Flores continued his chat with The Dodo. He said, “I was very surprised. He dragged a blanket over to the entrance of his house and settled outside the door. [The cat] felt protected by him.”

How sweet! And you couldn’t argue with Flores’ assessment, either. Once Hades got comfortable near the entrance, the pregnant feline went on to deliver a pair of cute babies. Who’d have thought that a pit bull would make for an excellent midwife? There’s a fun animated movie in there somewhere.

What’s more, Flores believed that Hades saw himself in a different light following the birth. The dentist noted, “I think he felt that he was a father.” Wow! There’s no way his owner could’ve predicted all this when he first heard that knocking outside the back door. Talk about a major life shift...

Anyway, after the cat delivered her kittens, Flores took to Facebook to tell everyone about it. He also included two photos from the event. From there, the post subsequently went viral, since earning over 50,000 likes and close to 25,000 shares. To date, it has generated more than 7,000 comments from social media users, too.

Among those messages, though, one stood out from the rest. A Facebook user wrote, “Mother Nature teaching acts of love to others...congratulations. Now, [make them] members of your family. Your baby adopted them, [and] your home has been even more blessed.” Did Flores heed those words in the end?

As per The Dodo, Flores eventually brought the cat and her two kittens inside his home, with Hades right there alongside him. The duo then watched over the feline family, ready to offer their assistance if needed. That must’ve been quite the experience.

At that stage, Flores decided to name the cat as he was becoming more familiar with her. The Tijuana resident opted for Nicol – a lovely name. But now there’s another question nagging at us: how did she and Hades get along once everything had settled down?

Well, Flores informed The Dodo that Hades and Nicol formed a tight bond once she’d entered their home. Yep, they’d frequently keep each other company during the spells where she was away from the kittens, like old pals. What a sweetheart this pit bull has proved to be! He’s batting all those negative perceptions away with ease.

On that note, when this heartwarming story began to be shared by other online outlets, something else happened. You see, the Bored Panda website covered Flores’ tale after it went viral in 2020. And the resulting article included numerous social media comments from folk looking to spread their own love for pit bulls.

One user wrote, “I just love pit bulls. They’re a loving dog [breed]. It’s the owners that [give them a bad reputation]. Loved this story.” That feeling was shared by a few others as well. For example, a different person recalled that their pal’s pooches wouldn’t leave their side when they dropped by for a visit.

With each post, a vivid picture of the breed started to emerge, flying in the face of the stereotypes. On top of that, this next message also showed that Hades’ attitude around Nicol wasn’t a one-off. As it turns out, some of his brethren have an equal fondness for cats, too!

The user said, “My pit bull absolutely loves kitties! His best friend is our tiny kitty. When my friend brought her three-week-old bottle babies by, whose mom had died, he wouldn’t leave their side. And [he] stood over their box to keep them safe. Pit bulls are so loving and loyal.”

Barring a few details, that sounds just like the situation at Flores’ house. Speaking of which, that brings us back to the point raised in an earlier Facebook comment – did the dentist make Nicol’s stay permanent? According to The Dodo, he has indeed made the cat an official member of the family. But could the same be said for her kittens?

Flores addressed that in May 2020 via a Facebook post. He confirmed that one of Nicol’s babies had been adopted by a frequent visitor at his dental practice, including a photo of the pair. Then, Bored Panda later revealed that a second party came in and welcomed the other kitten into their clan.

While that’s great news, though, Flores had one last thing to say on this story, and it tied back to his beloved pooch. He told The Dodo, “Pit bulls are good dogs. Hades put everything aside to help someone else. We should do the same without expecting anything in return.”