PETALING JAYA, Feb 16 ― Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
One pet cat from Queensland, Australia, embodied this statement, as it sacrificed itself to save its owners when they were in danger from a venomous snake.
The cat’s story was shared onto the Animal Emergency Service Facebook page yesterday, as it highlighted the feline’s noble last act.
Arthur, the domestic shorthair cat, was playing with his family in the backyard ― following his two little humans around ― when a highly-venomous Eastern Brown snake slithered into the backyard, right up to the children.
Instinctively, Arthur jumped into action and killed the snake before it could harm his owners.
While Arthur succeeded in eliminating the threat, he was bitten by the snake before killing it, which proved to be a fatal envenomation.
“In the chaos of getting the children out of the yard, no one saw the actual bite. Arthur collapsed but quickly recovered not long after like nothing was wrong,” said the post.
“Collapse events like this are a common symptom of snake bites, although not a well-known symptom amongst pet owners.
“The next morning, Arthur’s humans found him collapsed again and unable to get up. They rushed him to our Tanawha hospital. Unfortunately, Arthur’s symptoms were too severe to recover.”
The Eastern Brown snake is one of Australia’s Top 10 highly venomous snakes and is particularly known for its aggressive nature and bad temperament.
The neurotoxic venom of this species can kill a human being within 15 minutes if not treated.
“It was with the heaviest of hearts that his owners had to leave Arthur after he gained his angel wings.
His family, understandably devastated, remember him fondly and are forever grateful that he saved the children’s lives.”
The veterinary workers also said in the post that Arthur was always “getting into mischief” and was a “very loved” regular visitor at the Tanawha Animal Hospital.
Arthur’s heroic story has made its round on social media, with many social media users sympathising with his family for their loss and also commending Arthur for his sacrifice.
“Bless you, Arthur. A true hero. You gave your life to save your family. Things don’t come much better than that dear cat. Now you can settle into heaven and watch over your precious family,” wrote one user.
“Be at peace you absolute hero of a cat. You saved the children. I’m so sorry you couldn’t be saved,” wrote another.
Many users also recounted some of the brave and selfless things their pets have done to save them and their loved ones when they were in danger.
“My best friends dog in Florida killed a water moccasin (cottonmouth snake) and saved his kids. The dog survived too! People just don’t deserve pets,” wrote one user.
