Have you ever heard of the term “guard cat”? It does exist and these protective cat breeds are used to train guard cats but it also depends on the individual.
Not all individuals in protective cat breeds are or can be trained as guard cats but the if you have one of these breeds, the chances are higher. These breeds are dog-like cat breeds that are highly loyal and intelligent but mostly more territorial than dogs.
Cats are generally known with being scared when a danger comes but if you have seen the videos of the cats that attack wild animals (including but not limited to bears), you know that cats can be really badass when it comes to protecting people they love or their homes but it should also be said that they don’t always win. The key point here is all cats are different and have different personalities but some protective cat breeds can be trained relatively more easily compared to other cat breeds.
Let’s take a closer look at these somewhat possessive cat breeds.
1 – Abyssinian
Abyssinian is one of the oldest domestic cat breeds on earth. They have been around since ancient Egypt. They are loyal, protective, energetic and athletic kitties. They are also very intelligent and listen to their humans commands which is what you want in protective cat breeds because no matter whichever pet we are talking about, they may attack someone they shouldn’t if they consider the person a threat and stopping them is not always easy.
2 – Siamese
Siamese cats are both elegant and intelligent and they are easily trainable. The good thing is protection is a natural instinct for the Siamese so what you are doing by training a Siamese is just enhancing what is already there. Although it is not proven, there are legends of Siamese cats protecting the King of Siam as guard cats.
The legend is that there were high columns surrounding the throne and the Siamese cats used to sit on those columns since they like high places and whenever they felt that someone or something was a threat to the king they attacked the threat until it was neutralized. However the number of “purebred” Siamese cats are declining even in Siam despite the efforts to protect the original breed.
3 – Manx
Another cat with high intelligence and dog-like behavior, Manx is known for being tailless but the truth is even in the same litter, there can be many Manx kittens with different tail lengths. Manx cats are not called “watch cats” for nothing. These are very alert kitties that follow their humans everywhere and start producing growling sounds if they feel or hear a threat. They are very protective of their territories, humans and especially the kids in their families. It may attack even the biggest dogs as they step in the Manx’s territory.
4 – Turkish Angora
Turkish Angora is so elegant and beautiful that they are called “the ballerinas of the cat world”. But they are not just looks, they are also very intelligent and highly trainable. They can quickly learn new tricks and due to their playful nature and intelligence they need to use those tricks for physical and mental stimulation. Turkish Angora is a very loyal and friendly cat even towards strangers but they always have one favorite person in the family who gets to be the one to enjoy the protection of such a brave cat. There is nothing these kitties will not do to protect their favorite human from harm. They can go through hell if they have to.
5 – Egyptian Mau
Protective cat breeds are not always the same as possessive cat breeds but when we are talking about the Egyptian Mau it is really hard to separate the two because Egyptian Mau both doesn’t like strangers and is very possessive of its toys or food. They are generally suspicious of strangers and they can be really aggressive if they are scared of the stranger whether it be a human or another animal. Most cats run away if they are afraid of something but these kitties tend to attack whatever they are afraid of. An amazing quality if you want a guard cat.
6 – Burmese
Burmese cats were the pets to the royal family in Burma (modern Myanmar) and they would guard the entrance to temples and pagodas. Burmese cats are not very territorial but they are very loyal to their humans and protective of them. These kitties also have dog-like behaviors and can be trained easily due to their high intelligence. Burmese is considered one of the most friendly cat breeds around but don’t let this fool you, you don’t want to fall out with them.
7 – Maine Coon
Maine Coons are large cats! They have strong senses of hearing and smell which makes them extra alert. They are also very loyal, intelligent and protective. They are so protective that they can risk their own lives for their humans but they are also very loving and friendly even towards small children or other pets in the family. Their intelligence and playful nature allows them to learn tricks and games such as fetch. You can’t expect anything less from one of the protective cat breeds, can you?