A pet cat resorted to drastic action when her diabetic owner slipped into unconsciousness after her blood sugar ran dangerously low.
When Amanda Jameson lost consciousness after going to bed one night Willow, the long-haired tortoiseshell-and-white cat, jumped into action, biting the leg of her owner's partner, Ray Sherwood, who had fallen asleep in front of the television.
She then led him upstairs, where he found Amanda unresponsive and called for an ambulance.
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Ray, 57, from Prescot, said: “I had fallen asleep in front of the TV and then around 4am, I was woken by Willow biting at my legs and jumping at me.
“It was very out of character for her and made me get up to see what all the fuss was about. She was running between me and the stairs, looking back at me. I followed her up the stairs and she kept looking back at me to make sure I was coming.
“When I went into the bedroom, Willow leapt onto the bed, and I could see Amanda slumped over. She was unresponsive and I called an ambulance straight away. She was very unwell and rushed to hospital where, fortunately, they were able to treat her.
“I was absolutely stunned – Willow had saved her life. She’s an incredible cat, a total hero.”
Amanda, 51, added: “I was told I was very close to falling into a diabetic coma, and then the outlook could have been very bad for me.
“Willow is amazing, I just think she’s incredible. Since I came home from hospital, she has become very protective of me. I’ve noticed how she puts her nose to my mouth a lot, I think she’s checking I’m breathing.”
As a result of her heroic deeds, Willow has been listed among 12 finalists at the National Cat Awards.
The awards, run by Cats Protection – the UK’s largest feline welfare charity – will honour cats in four categories: Cat Colleagues, Family Fur-ever, Moggy Marvels and Social Star. Willow has been included in the Moggy Marvels category, alongside Dali, a cat who was missing for a month before being found marooned on a small patch of rocks in the Bradford Beck river, and Beau, who supports her owner with incurable blood cancer.
The public will have until June 30 to vote for their favourites in each category. The winners will be announced in a ceremony at Wilton’s Music Hall on July 17, hosted by writer and TV presenter Dawn O’Porter.
Cats Protection’s awards organiser, Ashley Fryer, said “Cats can have a huge impact on wellbeing and mental health and it’s clear that each of our finalists brings something really special to their owners.
“We’ve whittled down nearly 3,000 entries to just 12 remarkable felines and we can’t wait to see who the public chooses as their winners.”
Cast your vote in the National Cat Awards online now . Voting closes at 12pm, June 30.
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