{"id":12017,"date":"2022-11-10T08:03:03","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T08:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/?p=12017"},"modified":"2023-02-10T16:25:32","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T16:25:32","slug":"signs-your-cat-is-protecting-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/signs-your-cat-is-protecting-you\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Signs Your Cat Is Protecting You (and Itself!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many believe cats are aloof and don&#8217;t care about anything, which isn&#8217;t necessarily true, as they still watch over their owners in their own unique way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Below, we present you with nine signs your cat is protecting you, so if you see them in your furry friend, you better take out the tasty treat bag!<\/p>\n<h2 id='signs-your-cat-is-protecting-you'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Signs Your Cat Is Protecting You<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you noticed that your cat has been acting differently in stressful circumstances? If so, it might be because it&#8217;s trying to protect you. After all, cats securely bond to their owners just like dogs do, as reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/news-releases\/883461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a 2019 study published in the <em>Current Biology<\/em> journal<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In such cases, be on the lookout for these nine signs:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dilated pupils<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hissing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flattened ears<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exposed claws and teeth<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arched back<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tail lashing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clinginess<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sleeping next to you<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following you around<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id='1-dilated-pupils'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Dilated pupils<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a cat has <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dilated eyes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, its <\/span><strong>nervous system<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> is on high alert<\/strong>, and the kitty is trying to take in as much information as possible. They&#8217;re cautious and ready to attack if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id='2-hissing'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Hissing<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your feline is hissing at someone or something, it most likely <strong>perceives a potential threat<\/strong> and is attempting to protect itself or you. You should feel flattered if that ever happens!<\/p>\n<h3 id='3-growling'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Growling<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like hissing, growling is another way cats show <strong>they&#8217;re feeling threatened.<\/strong> If that ever happens, take it away from the perceived danger to defuse the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id='4-flattened-ears'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Flattened ears<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a kitty feels alert, attentive, and ready to pounce, it also shows it through the ears\u2014first, its <strong>ears will be turned out and swiveling<\/strong> to locate the danger before <strong>flattening them fully against the head<\/strong> in order to protect them in a potential fight.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id='5-exposed-claws-and-teeth'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Exposed claws and teeth<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You have chosen violence! At this point, your feline menace is in attack mode and will mostly <strong>use its claws to keep its &#8220;enemy&#8221; at bay.<\/strong> But, if you see it barring its tiny teeth and pulling back its whiskers, you better give it some space as it will probably &#8220;go in for the kill&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>As for the reasons why your kitty may go from cuddly to bitey in the blink of an eye, it may be <a href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/why-does-my-cat-lick-then-bite-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anything from showing affection to playing and venting stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id='6-arched-back'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Arched back<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Unlike the aggressive cat body language described above, the arched back, aka &#8216;Halloween Cat&#8221;, is a <strong>purely defensive stance<\/strong> you must have seen in cat-dog interactions when they slowly walk sideways around the &#8220;danger&#8221; to appear larger and threatening.<\/p>\n<h3 id='7-tail-lashing'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Tail lashing<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As their most expressive body part, cats utilize their tails to signify a range of moods and intentions. Still, the most common meaning of fast tail swatting is that the kitty is <strong>agitated or irritated<\/strong>. If it also takes a crouching position, it will soon lash out.<\/p>\n<h3 id='8-clinginess'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8. Clinginess<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your kitty transforms into a &#8220;velcro cat&#8221; overnight\u2014<strong>follows you everywhere you go and jumps on your legs and tummy<\/strong>\u2014it might mean it senses something is amiss and wants to comfort you since it is adept at reading emotions and detecting things we cannot.<\/p>\n<p>Cats that are particularly worried or need some love <a href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/why-does-my-cat-pee-on-my-clothes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">may even urinate on your clothes<\/a>!<\/p>\n<h3 id='9-sleeping-next-to-you'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9. Sleeping next to you<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your cat likes to sleep next to you, it simply wants to <strong>protect its owner and itself<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>.<\/strong> They feel safer when they&#8217;re near you at night and assume you might need company too. So if they curl up next to your feet to share your warmth, let them; you&#8217;ll both be better for it!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='how-to-handle-a-cat-that-is-too-protective'><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Handle a Cat That Is Too Protective?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have an overprotective cat prone to aggressive outbursts, you can do a few things to calm it down and help it feel at ease around you and other people and animals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>First, provide it with a <strong>safe spot to retreat to<\/strong> when it <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">feels scared or threatened, such as a nook under your staircase, a hidden cat cot, or some space behind the sofa.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Also,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ensure that it has <strong>plenty of toys and playthings<\/strong> to keep it occupied and distracted from whatever brings about its fear and anxiousness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hillspet.com\/cat-care\/behavior-appearance\/are-cats-protective-of-humans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">experts over at Hill&#8217;s<\/a> also recommend <strong>never to punish or reward your cat<\/strong> for its aggressive episodes as you will condone further similar outbursts in either case.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, if your <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cat is feeling stressed and agitated more often than usual, you can try giving it <\/span>CBD oil for felines<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to keep them calm, happy, and healthy!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 2rem;\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Contrary to popular belief,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cats are some of the most loyal pets you can have, but they show their affection in small and subtle ways. Just keep an <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eye on the obvious <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">signs <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your cat is protecting you so you keep it away from frightening situations. In any case, do remember that your cute little fluff ball is still a <a href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/history-of-cats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">distant cousin of the ferocious wildcat<\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hillspet.com\/cat-care\/behavior-appearance\/are-cats-protective-of-humans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hill&#8217;s Pet Nutrition<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/petkeen.com\/signs-cat-is-protecting-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pet Keen<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hepper.com\/signs-cat-is-protecting-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hepper<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/excitedcats.com\/signs-your-cat-is-protecting-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excited Cats<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seniorcatwellness.com\/would-your-cat-protect-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior Cat Wellness<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many believe cats are aloof and don&#8217;t care about anything, which isn&#8217;t necessarily true, as they still watch over their owners in their own unique way. Below, we present you with nine signs your cat is protecting you, so if you see them in your furry friend, you better take out the tasty treat bag! [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/signs-your-cat-is-protecting-you\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from 9 Signs Your Cat Is Protecting You (and Itself!)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":12018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-guides"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}