A couple from Santa Rosa, California, has their cat to thank for being aware and quick thinking enough to possibly save a life.
Derick and Carol Orr were sleeping on Valentine’s Day morning when Carol awoke with the hiccups. She got out of bed and went to the other room to get rid of them, while Derick returned to sleep.
Soon, Derick was awoken by the family cat, Baba. Baba is six years old but at 5:00 am that morning, he displayed behavior that was uncharacteristic. Baba repeatedly jumped up onto Derick, biting him and pawing at him. Derick tried to ignore the cat’s antics, but then noticed that Baba was repeatedly running out of the room before turning around, running back in, and jumping up on Derick.
Annoyed by the cat’s behavior, Derick got out of bed and followed Baba to the living room. He saw that Carol had fallen asleep on the couch, but as he got closer he realized that something was very wrong. Carol had collapsed and was struggling to breathe.
After calling 911, Carol was taken to the hospital. She had undergone both a seizure and a stroke, and had begun to aspirate by the time that Derick had followed Baba out of the bedroom.
Carol is now doing better, and possibly owes her life to Baba. There are numerous stories of cats alerting their owners and other family members to medical emergencies. These incredible animals are highly intelligent and sensitive, and we are certainly lucky to have them in our lives.
