Why aren’t cats afraid of snakes?

Cats are faster in attack and reaction than snakes, so when they meet a snake the cat usually gains the advantage. Snakes also have a special body structure that prevents them from changing direction at will — they can only strike in a straight line — while a cat’s body is very flexible and can easily move to the snake’s side or rear, so it need not fear the snake’s attack.

Note, however, that cats also fear snakes much larger than themselves; against a big snake a cat will usually flee. Cats are also afraid of snake venom, so with venomous snakes such as the banded krait, don’t let the cat try to catch it, to avoid a fatal bite.