This is the incredibly cute moment a little dog tries to eat the cat food and gets a slap on the head that sends it frantically backpedalling.

The Shiba Inu puppy had been getting on relatively well with the cat and did not think it would be a problem when the two pals shared a meal together at their home in Sichuan Province, in south-western China, as seen in the 15th June clip.

However, although the cat tolerated the playful puppy, apparently, this was simply going too far, and the dog got a warning tap on the head that sent it backpedalling frantically and then sitting on its hind legs, looking bemused at what had just happened.

The cat then stared at the food making it clear that any repeat attempt would be similarly punished.

The Shiba Inu is a type of hunting dog from Japan. Its images have become virally popular recently after the success of a cryptocurrency of the same name.

It is the smallest of the six original dog breeds native to Japan.

Online commentators, such as ‘Under The Confused Tree’, have said: “It sounds like it’s very stubborn.”

And user ‘Striking The Stolen Gong’ said: “Why don’t you dare to fight with the fat cat?”

While the user ‘It’s Me, Acai’ said: “A beating made him much more honest.”