Feline Ferocity

Six cats that saved the lives of the owners who loved them

We often hear stories about how courageous dogs saved their owners from harm at the hands of home intruders, fires, and other dangerous situations. In contrast, we never seem to hear similar stories about fearless felines dashing into danger to save the owners who love them. Could it be they’re more apathetic or are they really just scaredy-cats? Here are six stories of courageous cats that stepped into harm’s way when it meant saving the lives of their owners.

Tara was always seen as a mellow cat and cherished pet of the Triantafilo family in California. That all changed one day when the couple’s four-year-old son, Jeremy, was playing on his bicycle in the driveway. A neighborhood dog ran onto the property and attacked him, dragging the child across the lawn by his leg. At the sound of Jeremy’s cries. Tara bolted from the open garage straight at the dog, which released Jeremy. Tara then continued to chase the dog off the property and down the street. Jeremy suffered bites to his legs and abdomen. Had it not been for Tara’s bravery, it could have turned out much worse. Home surveillance video that captured the attack has been viewed countless times on YouTube. You can also find an interview with the family here.

Jack, a 15lb. tabby cat in Milford, New Jersey is very protective of his backyard and the family that owns him. When a black bear entered the yard, Jack wasted no time in charging the bear and chasing it up a tree. After a long standoff, the bear came down, and Jack chased it up a second tree. Little did the bear know that Jack was clawless, which makes Jack’s bravery even more impressive. Jack’s owner, Donna Dickey, said Jack is very protective of his turf.

Baby was such a mild mannered cat that her owner, Josh Ornberg, referred to her as not very social. That all changed one evening when Ornberg and this girlfriend, who was seven months pregnant, fell asleep on the couch in their Chicago home. A fire broke out in a back bedroom, and as the house began filling with smoke, Baby jumped on Ornberg repeatedly, forcing him to wake up. The fire destroyed most of the couple’s possessions, but thanks to Baby they escaped with their lives.

Schnautzie was still a kitten when she saved her owners’ lives. One night she jumped up on Trudy Guy while she was sleeping in bed and kept pawing at her owner’s nose. When Trudy finally woke up she noticed Schnautzie behaving strangely and sniffing the air. After Trudy woke her husband, they noticed a hissing noise and discovered it was coming from a ruptured gas line leading into their home that was filling the basement with fumes. After they fled the house with Schanutzie, firefighters told them that had their furnace kicked on as the night got colder, their house would have exploded.

Pudding saved the life of his owner, Amy Jung, only hours after being adopted from an animal shelter. When Jung, who has suffered from diabetes since age 4, fell into a diabetic seizure in her sleep, Pudding jumped on her chest and began frantically pawing at Jung’s face, even biting her nose. When Jung came to her senses enough to call out to her son, Ethan, for help, Pudding ran to Ethan’s room to wake him up, too.

Tommy, an orange and tan striped cat, came to the rescue when his elderly owner, Gary Roscheisen, fell from his wheelchair and couldn’t get back up. Unfortunately, Roscheisen wasn’t wearing his medic alert necklace at the time of the fall. When police arrived they found an odd scene. Roscheisen, along with a number of items were scattered across the floor. Tommy was sitting next to the cell phone that was on. The police surmised that Tommy had inadvertently dialed 911 in his contact with the phone in a situation that was nothing short of miraculous