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The word “hero” is usually used to describe a person who does some extreme act of bravery, maybe even resulting in saving a person’s or multiple people’s lives. In this case it wasn’t a brave firefighter or dedicated doctor who saved the day. This story isn’t about a person at all — it’s about a cat, a two year old male feline named Paley who saved a woman’s life.
Creating a home for Paley
Paley had taken up residence at Spring Grove Apartments in Atlanta, Georgia some 18 months ago, reports The Times-Journal. Marci Mitchell and Jean Lewin, two women living at the apartments, fell in love with it and decided to feed and name the timid, stray cat. They chose Paley as the name because of the orange markings on his white fur.
Although Mitchell and Lewin wanted to bring Paley into their homes, he did not show interest in being domesticated. So the women took turns feeding and taking care of him, even taking Paley to the vet for vaccinations. They made sure to place an animal carrier and blankets in a place out of the wind so he could keep warm in the cold winter nights. Both women had experience with cats as they each own their own cats as well.
Slowly but surely, Paley started getting comfortable with the kind women and warming up to them. He would sometimes allow them to pet him, and would even sit on their laps when they would come out to the porch. He had become part of the building’s “family”.
Paley saves the night!
One night, a neighbor came over to Lewin and told her Paley was crying and acting a bit strange. Lewin didn’t know why the cat was acting like that, so she went outside to investigate. Paley was not being himself and refused to answer to Lewin calling him, which he usually responded to. Lewin knew something was up.
She thought the cat wanted to be followed, so she followed his lead. Paley led her out of the apartment’s yard and down a slope til they reached a large tree. That’s when Lewin saw a woman laying on the snow, unconscious and unresponsive.
Lewin had worked on a rescue team in Washington state for many years and knew exactly what to do. She quickly got a blanket for the woman and asked a neighbor to call 911 while she tended to her. Fortunately, the cat saved the day and the story has a happy ending.
Paley isn’t the only hero that happens to be a cat. The internet is full of other amazing stories like Paley’s, in which other cats save the day, and other animals save the life of their owners or of strangers. These stories prove that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and that we should never underestimate pets and animals. They are heroes too.
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