Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

This is the moment a dog owner yanks his pooch in the air by its lead to save it as a stray cat attacks with its back arched.

The animal encounter was filmed in a passageway in the waterfront area of Eminonu in the district of Fatih on the European side of Istanbul in north-western Turkey.

In the CCTV footage, the dog owner is seen walking up the steps with his little pooch on its lead.

As they reach the top of the steps, the cat, seen sitting on a step outside a store, springs into life and pounces on the dog.

The surprised owner swings his dog through the air by the lead as the cat attacks his ankles and arches its back, apparently hissing at the heavyset man and unfazed by his superior size.

In a panic, the stocky man inadvertently performs a short ‘dance’ while attempting to hot-step away from the aggressive feline nipping at his ankles.

To finally escape, the man runs up the steps as quickly as possible as other shoppers back away from the hissing moggie.

According to local media, the man sought shelter in a nearby shop until the fuming feline had calmed down and then promptly left the passageway without further incident.