Cat tries to save

Cats are often stereotyped as standoffish and aloof, even to the people who love them most, but the truth is that cats can be just as protective of their people as dogs are of theirs. Put simply, cats love their family and their family loves them right back. In a groundbreaking study published in 2011, researchers showed for the first time that "cat-human relationships are nearly identical to human-only bonds," according to NBC News.

You might not realize how closely your cat pays attention to where you are and what you're doing. Petful highlights a cat who protected a child from a dog attack as well as numerous cats who alerted their humans to medical emergencies, including cancer and carbon monoxide poisoning. Kitties use their razor-sharp hearing and smelling abilities to keep their pet parents safe.More frequently, cats try to protect their pet parents from people they consider to be dangerous. Although cats are fierce predators, humans can seem big and scary to some cats. It's instinctual for a cat to defend their territory and yours.

But while it's adorable to imagine your kitty rushing in to save the day, they probably don't think the same way about their actions. Renowned animal behaviorist Dr. John Bradshaw, in National Geographic, cautions against people's tendency "to imagine that [cats] have thoughts and intentions rather like ours." If your cat attempts to protect you from something (or someone), they're probably just following their instinct.