The internet is replete with stories of dogs who save their owner’s lives by dragging them from a burning house, fighting off a deranged bear, saving a helpless child from drowning, or even dialing 911 after their owner had collapsed.

Now the tables have turned and the unending rivalry between cats and dogs has a new advocate:

(photo via Reddit)

On Wednesday a cat owner returned home to find that their beloved feline had indeed guarded their residence and exterminated a suspected trespasser.   The hero then,  in a very cat-like afterthought, smartly removed the remains to an appropriate location for disposal.  Cat enthusiasts have expressed their admiration and thoughts on social media.

Here are just a few of the remarks from social media users:

“When a cat leaves a kill for you it is a sign of submission and respect, especially when left in a location that the cat recognizes as your own.Bottom line: you must spend a LOT of time in the bathroom.”

“…so THAT’S why my cat always leaves dead things on my laptop!  Imma give him a hug.  When he comes home next.”

This is certainly not the first time a cat has spared nothing in defense of it’s owner.  The following cats actually risked their own lives to protect their owners and were recognized for their efforts:

TARA

 

Four-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo was playing in front of his home when a neighbor’s dog came up and bit him, pulling him off of his bicycle.  The first to arrive on the scene was the boy’s cat, Tara, who proceeded to body slam the dog.  The cat and it’s owners were subsequently interviewed on The Today Show.

PUDDING

Pudding is a 21 pound feline that was rescued by her owner, Amy Jung, from a Humane Society shelter.  That very evening, Jung had a diabetic seizure and Pudding jumped onto her bed waking her, then scrambling to Jung’s son’s room waking him as well.  Her son quickly acted to get his mom the medical attention she desperately needed.  Since the incident, Pudding has been registered as a therapy animal.

SCARLETT

In 1996, a fire broke out in a suspected crack house in Brooklyn. A cat was seen at the scene carrying her kittens out of the building one by one. She was severely burned, and blinded by blisters. After softly touching each kitten with her nose to make sure they were all safe, she then collapsed. Firefighter David Giannelli took the cat and kittens to the North Shore Animal League clinic. The League received 7000 applications to adopt cat, now named Scarlett, and she was taken by Karen Wellen, who cared for her until her death 11 years later. Scarlett’s story was made into a book, Scarlett Saves her Family, and also a children’s book, The Bravest Cat. The North Shore Animal League created an honor in her name, The Scarlett Award, for animal heroism.

PRINCESS

Princess is actually a story that hits close to home for our very own Director of Content Development. James Kosur and his wife Heather were sleeping when Princess jumped up on their bed and started pawing at James and meowing repeatedly. She then jumped onto the floor and wouldn’t leave or stop meowing until James followed her through the entire house to their den area. When James arrived in the room, he noticed that a wall outlet was sparking and starting to smoke. James quickly turned off the power to his home and began to investigate the situation. Having only recently purchased the home, James soon realized that all of the wiring in the home was frayed, connected improperly, and dangerously close to burning down the entire home. The wiring was immediately replaced throughout the house. Most amazing though is that Princess just showed up at their door one day and she decided to never leave, becoming an indoor house pet for their family. Princess still lives with Heather and James to this very day.

Sure dog’s might most often be in the spotlight for their heroic deeds, but we shouldn’t forget that cats can also be heroes, and sometimes they use their quick thinking and not just their strength to get the job done.