A cat that saved the life of its diabetic owner has been a finalist for the National Cat Awards.
Amanda Jameson, 51, from Liverpool lost consciousness one night after falling asleep dangerously low blood sugar.
Pussy Willow bit the leg of Ms Jameson’s partner, Ray Sherwood, 57, who fell asleep in front of the TV and walked around to wake him up.
Willow then led Mr Sherwood upstairs, where he found Amanda unresponsive and called an ambulance.
Mr Sherwood said: “I fell asleep in front of the TV and woke me up at about 4am when Willow bit my leg and jumped at me.
“It was very inappropriate for her to get up and see what was going on. She ran between me and the stairs and looked back at me. I followed her up the stairs and she kept looking back at me for the rest of the day. Make sure I will come.
“When I went into the bedroom, Willow jumped on the bed and I could see Amanda on the floor.
“She didn’t respond and I called an ambulance right away.”
Willow and her owner Amanda Jameson
“Total Hero”
Mr Sherwood added: “She was very unwell and was taken to hospital, fortunately they were able to treat her.
“I was completely stunned – Willow saved her life.
“She’s an incredible cat and a total hero.”
Ms Jameson said she was told she was “very close” to being put into a diabetic coma and then the outlook “could be very bad”.
“Willow is amazing, I just find her incredible,” she added.
‘I thought she was checking my breathing’
“Since I got home from the hospital, she’s become very protective of me. I’ve noticed that she keeps putting her nose next to my mouth, and I think she’s checking my breathing,” she added.
The National Cat Awards are divided into four categories – Feline Colleagues, Family Fur Animals, Cat Miracles and Social Stars.
Willow is part of Feline Miracles, along with Dali (a cat who went missing for a month and was later found stranded on a small rock in the river) and Beau (supporting owner David who was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer) category.
“Cats can have a huge impact on happiness”
The public will vote until June 30, and the winner will be announced on July 17 at a ceremony hosted by author and TV host Dawn O’Porter.
Ashley Fryer, awards organizer for Cats Protection, said: “Cats can have a huge impact on well-being and mental health and it’s clear that each of our finalists brought something very special to their owners.
“We’ve whittled down nearly 3,000 entries to just 12 extraordinary felines, and we can’t wait to see who the public chooses as their winner.”