How Cats Can Sense a Bad Person (And Other Cat Incredible Abilities Explained)
491,782
Published 2022-10-02
Can cats be protective of their owners?
Cats are often stereotyped as aloof, but the truth is that cats can be just as protective of their people as dogs are of theirs.
A feline’s first instinct is to run from danger, but the security you provide as that cat’s colony might compel your cat to stick around and fight to protect you. Cats are very protective of their territory and whoever is providing them with care, love, shelter and food.
In a groundbreaking study conducted by University of Vienna in 2011, researchers showed that "cat-human relationships are nearly identical to human-only bonds".
Cats value their social group. This includes their human companions. If they notice a threat or see their humans come under physical attack, their instincts to fight and protect will be instigated.
There are many reported cases of cats protecting humans from dogs, other cats, and even other humans.
Cats are more protective of female owners
A study by Kurt Kotrschal published in the journal Behavioural Processes has found that cats share a strong bond with women. The study found that women tend to interact with their cats more than men do, and cats find women’s softer voice tones to be more appealing. In response, cats approach female owners more frequently.
Cats can sense a bad person
Cats are not psychic, and they cannot read the minds of the people. However, cats have acute senses, making them able to read people’s intentions.
For example, cats are known to be excellent at interpreting body language.
While humans may miss out on cues such as tense muscles, increased breathing patterns, and increased heart rate, the ever-observing felines can detect these micro-gestures.
Cats are constantly on guard and exceptionally reactive.
They will read our body language and pick up on cues that tells them whether we are safe or dangerous to be around.
Cats are also able to smell things that we humans cannot smell.
Outwardly, you may be being welcoming and friendly to a person, but your cat will notice tiny, subconscious signals that you are not completely comfortable around that person.
Your cat can sense when you are nervous because your body produces certain stress-related chemicals and hormones that have distinctive odors. The most obvious of those would be sweating and the releasing of Adrenalin.
Keep in mind that cats can detect fear in humans. When we are fearful, we change a bit. We breathe heavily, we tense up, our pupils dilate, and perhaps we tremble a little. It's on full display and our kitties can sense that.
Interestingly, a study published in Animal Cognition found that cats look to humans for cues about whether a situation is concerning or not.
Cats can smell serious illnesses
Both dogs and cats have been known to save numerous lives by detecting illness in humans.
Some diseases cause chemical changes in our bodies, which can produce unique smells that some animals can identify in a person's breath or skin. Cats and dogs have an acute sense of smell, and so have the ability to sniff out a chemical change in a human body caused by a disease.
There are many anecdotal reports that cats respond to a sick individual by becoming clingier and more attentive.
How long can a cat remember a person?
While it's impossible to put an exact time on how long a cat's memory can go back to, it's believed that a cat's long-term memory is indefinite.
Keep in mind that cats have associative memories. Your cat, for example, might associate the sound of can opener with you giving them a can of yummy food.
Your cat may not remember the specific interactions she’s had with you but she will remember how you loved them and brought them joy.
Cats can predict bad weather
Cats are more sensitive than humans to changes in barometric pressure and atmospheric electricity that come with storms or hurricanes, and their heightened senses can allow them to pick up hints that a storm is coming well before their owners catch wind of it.
If there is a storm of any type on the way, cats who dislike storms tend to yowl or meow loudly. They may also pace restlessly around the house.
Cats can interpret facial expressions
A study by Oakland University researchers revealed that cats are more likely to show “positive” behaviors such as purring if they see that their owner is smiling. Frowning on the other hand was met with less enthusiasm. And if you're stressed, it's common for cats to become stressed in response.
So if you think your cat is more likely to lie on your chest or rub up on your legs when you’re feeling blue, it’s not just your imagination. Your faithful, furry friend is probably responding to your mood.
Many felines will respond to their owners’ sad mood by becoming more sympathetic.
All Comments (21)
-
I had a cat who would run to save me every time I screamed out loud when seeing a bug. He learned early on how much bugs freaked me out so he would always respond to my screams to find the bug in the room and eat it for me. Without fail he kill any bug that scared his mommy. It was amazing he learned that.
-
Cats are very intuitive, and they’re smarter than most people realize. I had a cat who saved my life. Well actually, she saved 3 lives, plural… Mine, my husband's, and our other cat, plus she also saved herself… True story: My husband had fallen asleep (passed out drunk?) on the couch late one night and had dropped a lit cigarette between the cushion and the arm of the sofa. I was asleep in the back bedroom. One of our two cats kept coming into the bedroom and lying her entire body across my face covering my nose and mouth. I’d push her away and go back to sleep. She did this several times to the point I finally woke fully up and wondered what she was up to. I got out of bed and when I opened the bedroom door all the way, a thick wall of smoke hit me in the face. I couldn’t see a thing. I panicked and felt my way through the smoke to get to the living room where my husband was laying unresponsive on the burning couch. I shook him and yelled trying to wake him up and ran into the kitchen to get water to put the fire out. Long story short, the next day, I noticed my Siamese cat's whiskers had all been burned off. I sat there, crying, and realized what she had done. She saved our lives. She was trying to wake me up… Then she went into the living room trying to wake my husband up. She got so close to the heat/fire that it burned off her whiskers. She saved us. If it hadn’t been for her, we all could have died from smoke inhalation or fire. She’s definitely my HERO and I will never forget her.
-
I once was very sad and I was crying. Then my very old cat who barely moves anymore got down the stairs just to lay onto my face. Purring extremely loud. It was so adorable how his chonky, fluffy body just fell onto my face, he was like "stop crying Ima wipe your tears away". This made me laugh and I immediatly felt better. Best comfort I could've asked for.
-
When I fell very unwell and had to go for major surgery my cat who is normally very aloof wouldn't leave my side. She definitely knew I was sick. She nursed me back to health imo.
-
There’s actually a story of a cat named Homer who saved his owner from an intruder in her bedroom. The woman says she woke up to Homer growling and her heart nearly stopped when she saw a strange man standing over her. But before she had time to react, homer launched himself at the man’s face and chased him out of the house
-
Cats are such sweet and loving creatures. I just wish more people would give them a chance.
-
I had a really nasty bug last week and had to spend my days in bed, fightng a fever and a heavy cough. I live alone but my cat was by my side all the time. One night, my cough was absolutely terrible but my cat then carefully layed down on my chest and started purring for the rest of the night. Believe it or not, the next day my cough was way better and i started recoverering. She truly is a little hero ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
-
Izzy has saved me from a gas leak before! She suddenly got up from the couch meowing and running to the front door and then back to me and kept doing it until I opened the door. She ran outside but then ran back in and wouldn't leave my side until I was safely outside!
-
Cats are the most fascinating creatures ever. Just imagine, having a tiny lion in your living room. They are a constant source of fun and love.
-
I had a narcissistic boyfriend who during the love bomb stage made me blind to his true nature. I was confused why my cats both hated him, when they were so friendly to others. One of them had peed on his clothes, the other literally climbed up his bare back and freaked the hell out of him! 😂 In hindsight I am grateful to my two kitties, who have passed away from old age. They were my guardians who I dearly miss.
-
My cat was in my bedroom constantly staring at me while I was depressed and vitamin d deficient. Also for a while he wouldn’t eat until after I fed myself dinner. Than he ate his food after I force fed myself from being depressed. I force fed myself to make sure he would eat too.
-
My sister's tom cat is very attached to her. A few summers ago, on seeing her get up on a chair to hang some curtains in out cottage, her tom cat ran down the stairs howling in protest and alarm and would not stop miaowing his head off until she climbed down and was "safe" again. We were both stunned by his behaviour and just how protective he was about her.
-
Once 7 stray dogs ran towards me to attack. An orange tomcat came out of nowhere and stood infront of me, protecting me against the dogs. The dogs stopped dead on their tracks and stood watching the heroic orange cat. I managed to run off to safety & hoped the orange cat managed to get to safety. That orange tomcat saved my life!
-
My cat used to have days when she'd follow me around the house for hours on end, looking straight into my eyes and meowing like crazy. I had no idea why she did this, I tried giving her food, treats, pets but she didn't want any of these. She just kept on meowing. A few months ago I was diagnosed with GAD. And ever since I started my treatment, my cat stopped doing her "following and meowing" ritual. So I can confirm, cats do sense our emotions. Mine definitely did. Cause she would only do "her thing" when I had really bad days filled with anxiety.
-
My male cat would attack anyone who made me scream/cry. Whenever my father, sister and I would horseplay the cat would attack my father and swat at the guard dog if he joined us in the horseplay. RIP Minou ... 21yrs young.
-
I lost my sweet Calico 3 years ago but we had such a strong bond. She woke me up 3 times before I slipped into a diabetic coma. I miss her so much
-
When my husband died our two cats went into a state of severe depression. Ordinarily playful, they lay on the floor all day, staring into space and being completely unresponsive. I had to put my own grief aside to help them, which turned out to be good for us. I spent hours petting them and playing with them. Even when I was doing something else I talked to them constantly (the people in the next apartment must have thought I was nuts if they heard me). It took months, but they finally decided to join the world again, and the sight of their recovered happiness was so healing for me! Whoever says cats don't experience love and grief has probably never had one.
-
When I had a mental breakdown and fought with my mom, my 6 years old cat gently sneaked up and bit both of us to stop the fight.
-
My cat died fighting a snake that went in my home when I was away.. I remember he was always sit in the window, protecting my home. When the night came, his white fur would be looking so majestic under the moonlight..he is the cutest cat I've ever own..and I miss him dearly
-
I have six cats some live outdoors and some live in the house. I don't have a family close by and during the pandemic I don't think I could have endured the isolation so well without their companionship. I love them so much. I consider myself a tough ass man but when it comes to my cats I quickly turn to mush. They were born in the house and right now nothing is more important.
