# Do cats ever intentionally protect their owners? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123 "2014-04-27T17:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/1 "2014-04-27T17:13:37Z")
See subject. Like dogs do, at times, no matter what their breed or training. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/2 "2014-04-27T17:40:56Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > See subject. Like dogs do, at times, no matter what their breed or training. I keep hoping this were the case, having had cats for pets since I was a kid, but sadly, I don’t think cats are built this way. I think dogs are centered around the pack as hunters, and their fight or flight response is focused there. Cats hunt by themselves. Don’t ask me about two lions taking down a wildebeast in Africa–maybe they are not really working together. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/3 "2014-04-27T17:47:34Z")
Funny you should mention that, **Leo Bloom**. We were watching Animal Planet yesterday, and they had a segment on Homer The Blind WonderCat. Homer woke his owner with loud growling when an intruder came into her room. When the intruder made a noise, Homer leapt at the man’s face. The man turned and ran, and Homer chased him out of the home. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/4 "2014-04-27T19:07:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Funny you should mention that, **Leo Bloom**. We were watching Animal Planet yesterday, and they had a segment on Homer The Blind WonderCat. Homer woke his owner with loud growling when an intruder came into her room. When the intruder made a noise, Homer leapt at the man’s face. The man turned and ran, and Homer chased him out of the home. Sure, but was Homer protecting his owner, or just protecting his turf? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/5 "2014-04-27T19:13:43Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Sure, but was Homer protecting his owner, or just protecting his turf? Both. Homer had the ability to run and hide, which is what cats do in the face of what might be a predator of cats. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/6 "2014-04-27T19:15:02Z")
I’ve heard of ‘attack cats’ that will jump on and scratch strangers when they enter a house… but I bet they are protecting their territory, not their owners. BTW, not all dogs are naturally protective of owners or their property. Some just don’t really care one way or the other. Everyone is a friend to them, even if they are beating up the person who has fed them daily for the past 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/7 "2014-04-27T19:52:06Z")
[Fact #577](http://i.imgur.com/q2lZocr.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/8 "2014-04-27T21:46:03Z")
One could assume that our cat Jerry was protective of his house and his people by the nasty way he treats strangers. This isn’t the case. He just hates everyone. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/9 "2014-04-27T22:04:19Z")
Cats can definitely be protective of their owners. When they leave dead animal “presents,” it’s because they think you are too stupid to hunt your own food. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/10 "2014-04-27T22:30:46Z")
My son once had a cat who was protective of him. If he and his wife had a disagreement and his wife yelled at him, the cat would poop in her shoes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/11 "2014-04-27T23:08:55Z")
One of our cats is very protective of us. If there is a noise, or we are curious about something outside, Pixel is right by our side investigating, and she will get between us and whatever if she thinks we are threatened. Unlike the other three cats, who either run away or can’t be arsed to get up. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/12 "2014-04-27T23:25:39Z")
I’ve had 6 cats in my life for extended periods of time. Two of them were protective. Both (spayed) females, and both left me “presents” of dead things. I’m fairly certain that both thought of me as their large, stupid and tragically ugly kitten. The other four (two females, two males, all spayed/neutered) literally never gave a rat’s ass. Or a dead mouse’s ass, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/13 "2014-04-27T23:28:21Z")
My cats are smart enough to know they’re tiny creatures who are far less able to protect me than I am to protect them. Actually, they don’t think I can protect them, either, which is why their reaction to any frightening sight or sound is to shoot up the stairs at the speed of light. And the bleeding wounds they leave on me if I happen to be the point where they were when they were frightened is just an unfortunate side effect. I can’t say much for the dog, either. When the kids were little, he seemed somewhat protective of them, but he’s been known to try to hide behind me when something scares him. This makes sense to me, since I’ve gone to some lengths to teach him that his place in the pack is way below that of the humans in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/14 "2014-04-28T00:50:12Z")
When I was about 7 or 8 there was a house down the street with a large dog of some sort - I think it was a Doberman. One day when I was in front of our house playing the dog got out and came running down the street at me. Our cat came tearing out of nowhere and went straight for the dog at full speed making that unmistakable yowling/growling noise cats make when they’re fighting. The dog turned tail and ran. I have no idea if the dog meant me harm and I’m sure if there had actually been a fight the cat would have died, but that dog didn’t know what was coming for him and didn’t want to stick around to find out. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/15 "2014-04-28T01:22:19Z")
I’ve noticed some of them will express dislike for a ‘outside’ person, so not a show of force ‘protect’ but perhaps a I think you should watch out, I don’t like this person’ type of protect. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/16 "2014-04-28T01:27:00Z")
I was under the impression that cats don’t have owners. They have humans. (Not that they’ll ever admit it.) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/17 "2014-04-28T01:48:12Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I was under the impression that cats don’t have owners. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/18 "2014-04-28T02:02:20Z")
You hurt the baby? Prepare to [die!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n18IjyMbt9g) ---
**Author:** ![Specklebang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Specklebang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Specklebang)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/19 "2014-04-28T02:07:11Z")
My cats surround me when I sleep and at least one of them will stay and guard me no matter how late I sleep. Do they know what to do in case of an emergency? I’m not sure since I haven’t had anything like an intruder. But I sense they are concerned about me, whatever their motives are. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123/20 "2014-04-28T02:07:40Z")
Just a couple of days ago I was laying on the couch, I just so happened to look down at my bare feet and see a spider crawling on my foot. After screaming like a ten year old girl and shaking the thing off my foot, I noticed my cat was sitting right next to my foot staring at the spider the whole time and not doing shit about it. Once I flung the spider on the floor, the cat decided to chase it, but gee, a lot of good that did me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-ever-intentionally-protect-their-owners/687123.md?page=2)