If you think cats are aloof and not interested in their human family, then think again. A cat named Humbug can claim to have saved his owner's life.
In 2017, the black cat jumped on his owner, Gill Kelly’s, stomach. Gill felt intense pain when her four-legged friend landed on her.
Life-saving cat
At the urging of her husband, the British woman made an appointment with a doctor and it was certainly the right decision. After undergoing a series of tests, she discovered that she was suffering from ovarian cancer.
Without realising it, the cat had jumped on a two-kilogram tumour. Gill had been experiencing some symptoms, including abdominal swelling, bloating, and irregular periods, but had mistakenly attributed them to menopause.
The cancerous tumour was successfully removed
"Without Humbug, I would have continued to endure the discomfort, which means the cancer would have been much more advanced and less treatable," Gill said.
Since her operation, she has been doing wonderfully, although the fear of recurrence remains ever-present. To channel her stress, she has taken up needle felting. "Needle felting absorbs me completely, so I don't dwell on my anxieties," she added.
Unsurprisingly, the story of the furball spread like wildfire. The cat even came close to winning a national prize in a competition organised by the charity Cats Protection. "For me, he's the most special cat in the world," Gill shared proudly.
Well done, Humbug!
