If you’ve ever woken up to find your cat staring at you menacingly, you know the icy chill of wondering, “Is my cat trying to kill me?”

While it may be something you laugh off as soon as the fog of sleep lifts, there may be some truth to your paranoia.

The Monster Within

By day, your fluffy, cuddly kitty pulls of the innocent act quite nicely. However, every once in a while his inner beast emerges - and that’s the one you should be afraid of.

A 2014 study found that domestic house cats have a lot more in common with the dangerous felines found in the wild. In fact, they share many strong personality traits, including dominance, impulsiveness, and neuroticism.

What does this mean for your miniature mountain lion? He secretly wants to dominate every other living thing in the house. And to achieve that goal, he’ll turn on you in a flash.

"They're cute and furry and cuddly, but we need to remember when we have cats as pets, we are inviting little predators into our house," said Max Wachtel to USA Today. "Cats can be fantastic, sweet companions — until they turn on you."

So the next time you’re petting that fuzzy belly and your cat flips his lid and attacks your hand, you’ll know you’ve come face to face with the Mr. Hyde inside your adorable Dr. Jekyll.

Here are the stories of a few cat lovers who met their worst nightmare...

Ice-Cold Kitty

When Max and Sandra decided to get a cat on their three-year wedding anniversary, they thought they could look forward to years of adorable, cozy affection from their new addition. Little did they know that Felix wasn’t going to acquiesce.

Felix, a 2-pound Himalayan kitten, seemed like the perfect little boy. At the pet store, he nuzzled Sandra’s hand and slept softly while she ooh-ed and ahh-ed over is gorgeous coat and the sparkling blue eyes peeking through his tired lids.

Instantly in love, Max and Sandra took Felix home.

Less than a week later, their little ball of joy’s sparkling blue eyes turned ice-cold. Any attempt Max or Sandra made at picking up the tiny feline resulted in a whirlwind of scratches and violent shrieks. When one of them could get their hands on him, they would hold him with arms outstretched, like carrying radioactive plutonium, to minimize the damage.

Every once in awhile, Felix would saunter over to Sandra seeming to want some cuddle time. But as soon as she reached out to him, he attacked with hissing, clawing, kicking, and biting. Sandra would withdraw as quickly as she could, but Felix would pursue!

Determined to find a way to love and live with their little demon, Max and Sandra turned to satisfying Felix’s mean streak with toys. Each day Felix gets two play sessions full of chasing feathers, ribbons, and shoelaces that Max drags across the floor, which seems to give the now three-year-old feline an outlet for his rage – for now...

Flying Predator

Many cat owners sarcastically wonder, “Is my cat trying to kill me?” But for Marie and Marco, they had reason to worry.

Marco was a dog person, but Marie loved cats. While the two disagreed on the species, they both knew they wanted to rescue an animal in need. At the shelter, Marco was instantly drawn to Jinx, a dark gray American shorthair with a snub nose and golden eyes. Being the first cat Marco had ever wanted to own, Jinx was in.

But as soon as Jinx entered his new home, Marie and Marco knew they had trouble on their hands.

A natural climber, Jinx would scale the bookcases and cabinets, which were expertly decorated with trinkets from the couple’s many travels. As one of his adoptive parents would walk by, Jinx would strike from above!

Picture frames came crashing, figurines came tumbling, and Marie’s finest leather-bound books came fluttering down on top of their heads. When Marie and Marco had enough and took down everything within Jinx’s tall vertical reach, Jinx resorted to using himself as ammo, pouncing on passers by with outstretched claws and an iron will to hold on.

Today, you can still see the fear in Marie’s and Marco’s eyes as they walk beneath any high ledges, always wondering, “Is he going to get me?”

If you’re feeling the goosebumps rise and you’re trembling where you sit, don’t worry. Just because there are some killer kitties out there doesn’t mean yours is among them.

Happy Halloween!

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