# Will a cat ever guard or defend it's owner like a dog sometimes will? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-cat-ever-guard-or-defend-its-owner-like-a-dog-sometimes-will/543612 "2010-06-17T23:14:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![yo\_han\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yo_han_go/32/130_2.png) [@yo\_han\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yo_han_go)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-cat-ever-guard-or-defend-its-owner-like-a-dog-sometimes-will/543612/61 "2015-12-11T17:42:31Z")
Here we own 3 cats at the end of the cul de sac. They do react very differently when dog/person/wild animal wander by. 1. Cat no. 1 (he, bw, long hair) will just hide somewhere out of the sight. 2. Cat no. 2 (she, black) will hide somewhere where she could watch the intruder. 3. Cat no. 3 (she, tabby) will not give a sh\*\*. But she will react violently when “danger” is at paws distant. Observed to defend personal space no matter how large intruders were. But not owners. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-cat-ever-guard-or-defend-its-owner-like-a-dog-sometimes-will/543612/62 "2015-12-11T19:42:44Z")
My sister’s cat used to attack strangers in the house – more like ambush them by being under the furniture and trying to slash passing ankles. I don’t think, though, that it was defending anyone. It was just a sociopathic asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-cat-ever-guard-or-defend-its-owner-like-a-dog-sometimes-will/543612.md?page=3)