California Family’s Dog Chased Mountain Lion Up A Tree Proving That Dogs Rule And Cats Drool

A family in Tustin, California were shocked to learn the cat their dog chased up a tree when they let it outside in the morning to do its business wasn’t a neighbor’s pet cat but instead was a mountain lion that was now stuck up in the tree hiding from the dog. Thankfully, several agencies in the area were able to collaborate to capture the mountain lion and safely relocate it to the Cleveland National Forest southeast of Orange County.

The incident concluded on Monday afternoon according to a Facebook update from the Tustin Police Department. They shared a heap of photos from the capture and relocation of the mountain lion along with a caption detailing how it all went down.

On Facebook, they wrote “one Tustin family was in for quite the shock when they let their dog out in the morning and it chased a cat up a tree. When they looked a little closer, this wasn’t just any cat, but a California Mountain Lion. A big thanks to California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mission Viejo Animal Services, OC Animal Care , and Orange County Fire Authority for their parts in bringing today’s “cat in a tree” call to a happy ending in the Cleveland National Forest.” They also included a disclaimer saying “Mountain lions can be dangerous and should never be approached. The lion pictured here was safely sedated and handled by trained professionals.”

The Tustin Police Department shared images on Facebook along with the update… Big kitty up in the tree after it was chased by the dog:

Animal rescue teams were able to tranquilize the mountain lion, fit it with a radio tracking collar for its own protection, and relocate it safely:

Look at those claws!

And last but not least, the Orange County Fire Authority shared a video of the cat being captured from the tree. There was quite the crowd gathered around to watch the action:

Tustin – Firefighters were called out to assist Fish & Game personnel this afternoon with removing a young male mountain lion from a tree. The cat had wandered into the yard of a home in the area of Irvine Blvd. and Holt Ave. >>> pic.twitter.com/TWchTtXVpo

— OCFA PIO (@OCFireAuthority) November 19, 2024

The one thing missing from the story that I’d really like to know is what the species of dog was. My dog is a Great Pyrenees x Anatolian Shepherd mix. I am EXTREMELY confident my dog can and would chase a mountain lion of any size up into a tree. My dog would likely face down a bear or wolf if given the chance. But that’s what Anatolian Shepherds and Great Pyrenees were bred for, they’re livestock guardians. So I’d love to know what kind of dog chased the big kitty up into the treet that started all of this.