Will the lizard eat my cat?

[edwardandtubs]

Not really my cat, just a stray I'm feeding but today I saw a huge lizard near my house that appeared to be creeping up on the sleeping cat. It ran away when it saw me. Will the lizard eat a small cat? If so, what can I do to stop this?

[Costas2008]

They could be really good friends!

How big was that lizard?

Always thought that lizards are in danger from cats and not the other way around.

[edwardandtubs]

Bigger than the one in the photo. It was probably as big a lizard as you'll find in Thailand. I believe they feed off small animals like rodents and rabbits. It certainly had a menacing look as it approached the cat.

[Familyonthemove]

Probably a Monitor Lizard? Seen them in the centre of Bangkok in the flood drains. Eat small fish and can be a menace if they get into a shrimp farm - but not known to eat cats. Shy and run away from people ...... but they look mean!

[Pralaad]

They do have big sharp teeth, it may not eat the cat but can easily bite it or take a chunk .

Not much you can do, just scare it away or call some agency to relocate it

[rijb]

Do lizards eat pussy? Thanks to you, we'll never know.

[transam]

[Farma]

If it's a monitor lizard I wouldn't be surprised if it was after the cat to eat.

As a kid in Oz we were constantly removing goannas caught in rabbit traps. The goannas would look in burrows for rabbits to eat. Cats are about the same size as a rabbit.

[Patsycat]

Catz rulz, no doubt about it.

[slipperylobster]

Not if the cat has it's (the lizards) tongue.

Just don't let go.

[hanno]

It absolutely will if it gets hold of it. Not much you can do, I think.

[Hippos]

Yes it will.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[RBOP]

Its probably a monitor lizard which are quite common in Thailand and in Bangkok urban. Depends on the size but yes, absolutely they could eat a dog and cat (at least rabbits anyway) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA4HGSn_3LI

[Mrjlh]

Are you asking about a "Nam Tua" (Varanus Salvator Macromaculatus)? Then the answer is YES.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Mrjlh

[Rimmer]

We had six of them move onto our land.

This topic might give you some ideas how to catch him:

[Northwindhermit]

We had two litters of kittens slowly disappear over time, and we realized it was a

Monitor Lizard after it tried to swallow one that was almost fully grown. It ambushed

the cat a dawn, grabbed the head and broke its neck but could not swallow it past the shoulders.

The lizards are strong, fast, and smart. Some call them the "reptilian cat."

[HeavyDrinker]

They've just declared a cull on them around here at a whopping 50B a head. I can understand that as they are becoming plague like now. A year ago I'd see the odd one or two, now they are all over the place. They actually let them be for a year as they thought they might affect the rodent population but someone boobed there.....

The canals are now chock full of hunting Cambodians and Burmese.

Edited May 31, 2014 by HeavyDrinker

[HeavyDrinker]

Trying to catch it yourself is not advised unless you have experience. Bites, scratches and tail lashes from these creatures can have serious health repercussions.

[jcgodber]

people in my village would eat the lizard in a heartbeat

[stickylies]

monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

[ggt]

Forget the lizard...it is the illegal aliens you need to keep a watch on...many ate dogs and cats regularly in their home country...

[edwardandtubs]

It's probably a large adult monitor lizard but different from the ones I've seen in Bangkok. There are lots of different types of monitor lizard though. Trying to stop the cat sleeping in exposed places is the only thing I can think of.

[Dap]

Very cool video transam.

Thanks for the entertainment.

[hanno]

It's probably a large adult monitor lizard but different from the ones I've seen in Bangkok. There are lots of different types of monitor lizard though. Trying to stop the cat sleeping in exposed places is the only thing I can think of.

There are only two species of monitors in Thailand AFAIK: water monitor and Bengal, or Clouded, Monitor. Bengal is big enough to nab a cat but they prefer a diet of insects and small vertebrates.

[SanukJoeII]

monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

Wrong.

Thai name for them is hia (เหี้ย), which means bad person and is an insult, hence the fear for them, they certainly don't kill them and eeat them. It was my first "respectful" experience with locals, when I found a huge monitor lizard in my rubbertree plantation and they caught it and brought it to the temple, where more of them live in the forest.

They have even changed the name to "Silver and Blue", to avoid calling the name "Hia"....

Monitor lizards are big and eat rodents, fish (even catfish), but also small crocodiles, eggs and carrion.

[SanukJoeII]

They've just declared a cull on them around here at a whopping 50B a head. I can understand that as they are becoming plague like now. A year ago I'd see the odd one or two, now they are all over the place. They actually let them be for a year as they thought they might affect the rodent population but someone boobed there.....

The canals are now chock full of hunting Cambodians and Burmese.

Bullocks. All monitor lizards are protected in Thailand!

[Sheryl]

Some inappropriate posts have been removed. This is the pets forum, a place for animal lovers.

[Strangebrew]

I was eating some Chicken by the river a huge lizard lurking nearby with switchblade watching me with toothless old shinny Thai man smiling next to him.

[marko kok prong]

You have to be very careful of bites from these lizards,as they carry a lot of bacteria in their saliva,in fact the Komodo dragons in Indonesia, will often bite a goat,the goat runs off,but infection from the bite kills it a few days later,allowing the lizard to feast on it's corpse.

[eddie61]

the answer is 42