We often see a dog barking and running to help his owner when he feels his human is in danger. What about our feline friends? Do cats have a protective sense for their guardians, or can they be inclined to guard their human friends?
Many people (including many cat lovers and seasoned cat guardians) are obsessed with the stereotypes that cats are aloof and standoffish and protective instinct is limited to dogs. Let’s figure out, can cats be protective of their guardians?
Do Cats Have Protective Instinct For Their Owners?
YES, you may be surprised to read the answer if you believe the myth mentioned above. But yes, cats have a protective instinct for their guardians. Many incidences have been reported when a cat saves its guardian’s life (we have quoted a few in the latter half of the article).
Despite such occasional incidences, scientific studies also support this statement. For example, research results published in NBC news in 2011 astonished everyone. It stated that the human-cat bond is much stronger than we think and resembles the human-human bond. So if a cat tries to protect you, he may not treat you as human. Instead, he is trying to guard his family member.
Similar results were again shown in 2017 when a group of cats was free to choose between food, toys, human interaction, and scent during the study. Surprisingly, most cats preferred social interaction with humans over food, toys, or scent.
In addition, cats are somewhat territorial by nature and consider their guardian their property. So if a cat is protecting you, he is guarding his authority.
Understanding The Protective Behavior (Body Language & Signs) Of a Cat
Since our feline friends may not be as expressive and aggressive as dogs and may not bark and run to protect you like a dog, they do it in other ways.
Their response to impending threats, body gestures, and signs are vastly different when they sense potential danger. Therefore, if your cat exhibits some of the following signs, you should be cautious that he is undoubtedly warning you about something.
- Dilated eyes
- ears turned out
- Exposing teeth and claws
- Hissing, screeching, or growling
- Crouched position
Some Examples Of Hero Cats
Here are some examples of incredible benevolence demonstrated by fervently committed cats.
Tara
Tara is the most incredible example of a cat’s love for humans. Tara was daring enough to go against her instinct to guard her human brother. This happened when a dog was about to bite a little child. She fought off and chased away the dog. She behaved like a mother who could cross limits to save their baby. Tara was also awarded a medal for this act of bravery.
Schnautzie
The guardians of this brave cat are Greg and Trudy. Schnautzie sensed the gas leakage and made their guardians wake by continuously hitting their noses with paws. These actions woke up the guardians, and they were able to fix the problem before any accident happened.
Pudding
Another classic example of the protective sense of our feline friends is a cat, “Pudding.” It was February 2012 when his guardian Jung fell into a diabetic coma while sleeping.
Pudding sensed the danger and continued jumping on Jung’s chest until he awoke and could call his son. Then pudding went to Ethan’s (Jung’s son) room and made him awake to help his father.
Baby
A senior cat named baby saved the lives of Mr. Josh Ornberg and his pregnant wife when their house suddenly got on fire at midnight, and both were sleeping. They could escape because their cat, “Baby,” awoke them in time by jumping on their laps.
Tiger
A cat named tiger often used to press his owner’s left side ribs. Later, doctors detected stage one cancer in the left lung of the guardian. The guardian gave the credit for this timely diagnosis to his feline friend.
Conclusion
We have quoted above only a few examples that gained a reputation in the media. There are many other examples of when cats help their owners in different ways, saving them from a huge loss or even saving their lives.
So if you are a feline lover and live with a cat, feel proud because it’s not only dogs that guard their owners; your cat can do the job too!
Do you have any similar stories to share? Let us know in the comments how your cat has helped you.
I had a cat long time ago, and when I was sick with the flu, he jumped on the nightstand next to the bed and sat there looking at me in a parental way, concerned.
The other cat was sick once, and she slep all night with her head on his rear end. He didn’t move all night so not to disturb her. Not to the food bowl or the litter box. And he always would move around at night.
Another time the other cat twisted her paw and screamed, and he came running toward her and sniffed her nose to make sure she’s all right.
THANK YOU FOR THE CAT STORIES, THEY ARE TRUELY AMAZING!