The following story appeared in the Angel Animals Story of the Week Newsletter, testifying to the power of the paw.

OUR CAT SAVED MY HUSBAND’S LIFE
By Louise Roworth

My husband Peter is a horrendous snorer. We joke to people that
we have never spent a night together in the same bed since we have
been married. We were married nearly six years ago. His snores are
deep and so loud that even with earplugs in, I can still hear each
one thundering away. As a consequence, I would leave and sleep in
the spare room or else, I would kick him out of bed.

Much to the amusement and curiosity of our friends and family,
when we built our own home and moved in, we each had our own
bedroom. Our cat family consists of Aslan, Fuchsia, and Missy. They
each have their own rooms too. Aslan, the big red Persian, likes to
think he is the warrior and boss of the other cats. He is actually a
huge scaredy-cat and likes to hide under the beds when visitors first
come to the house.

Missy, the Norwegian forest cat, is the queen of her domain. Look
out to anyone who crosses her. Fuchsia, the smoke Persian, is the
baby. Although now six years old, she is the most inquisitive,
friendly, and outgoing of the three. She LOVES visitors and
especially trades-people. She wants to know how everything works
and how to fix things.

As Peter and I now sleep in different rooms with my room three
rooms away from my husband’s, I could still hear him snoring when
I got up to go to the bathroom or for a glass of water.

About a year ago, Peter started complaining to me that Aslan was
jumping on the bed in the middle of the night and waking him by
clawing at his chest. This, of course, would wake and annoy Peter
greatly. He would push Aslan off. Most nights, Peter would just
get back to sleep, until Aslan would be there again clawing at
his chest to wake him up.

This went on for weeks. Frustrated, Peter was starting to think it
was something he would just have to get used to as it would occur
even more often each night. After awhile, when Aslan woke him,
Peter would roll over and go back to sleep.

About the same time, I’d ask Peter how he slept. His answer was
always, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

I thought that was pretty melodramatic but wondered if maybe he
should have a sleep test. His snoring was still as bad as ever,
but he said that no matter how much sleep he got, he always woke
up feeling exhausted.

Peter went for the sleep test and then the follow-up appointment. The
results were startling.

He had severe sleep apnea. Apparently he was waking 114 times per
hour. His throat was obstructed, so he was ceasing to breath. Oxygen
wasn’t reaching his heart or his brain. Waking up is due to the
brain registering the lack of breathing or drop in oxygen levels
and sending a small wake-up call. The sleeper rouses slightly then
drifts back to sleep immediately. Then the cycle starts again.

The process of so much fragmented sleep leaves the person with
extreme sleepiness and fatigue. This can lead to a much greater risk
of motor vehicle accidents, hypertension, and a greater risk of heart
attack and stroke.

Peter wasn’t even remembering waking up when this happened. He
suddenly realized that Aslan was jumping up and clawing at his chest
when he stopped breathing for dangerously long periods of time. Aslan
was caring for my husband in the most amazing and loving way.

Peter now has a wonderful new breathing machine which he uses every
night. Aslan sleeps most nights on the bed with him. Peter loves
Aslan just as much as before but now we both know what an amazing
and loyal care-giver our big beautiful red Persian is.

BIO:
Louise Roworth is a kinesiologist. Visit her website Wings of
Change at www.wingsofchange.com.au/.

[STORY: Facebook]

[DRAWING: FineArtAmerica.com]

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• Furball Friday
• Who’s the Fairest (and Furriest) of Them All?
• Cat Saves Owner from Fiery Death
• Sydney Dentist Never Owned a Cat; Left $3 Million to Stray Cats
• Aussie Tabby Rescued after Week inside Air Conditioner

She could fit the stereotypical profile of a crazy cat lady. 80-year-old Daina Silins never married, lived in a cluttered home, and would feed any stray cat she encountered. She left her entire $3 million dollar estate to three animal charities: The Cat Protection Society, the Animal Welfare League and the Domestic Animals Birth Control Society. But don’t classify her as a Cat Lady: Ms Silins never owned a cat or dog.

In her cluttered home, there were dozens of books on cats and dogs. “At her dental surgery she would feed every stray cat that came along, no one would go hungry,” former client Keith Clissold said yesterday. “She didn’t have any family but everybody knew her.”

Only a dozen people attended her funeral, but her legacy will live on as her bequests feed, shelter and save the lives of a multitude of pets in the next few years.

[LINK: news.com.au]

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A female tabby, since nicknamed “Daikin” was rescued yesterday in Coorparoo on Brisbane’s southside after spending nearly a week trapped within an old air conditioning unit.

The property owner heard strange noises from her 1970s-era air conditioner, but attributed the sounds to a rat infestation.

Rescuers were shocked to find an adult cat in such a tight space.

When we got out there we saw this very old air-con unit built in the 1970’s, a real dinosaur of a thing,” RSPCA ambulance officer Katrina Farmer said today.

“We thought we might be dealing with rats at first, the smell of urine was so pungent.”

Rescue workers said that the badly malnourished and dehydrated tabby had been trapped inside by a turbine for at least five days and could only be freed when the air conditioner was ripped off the wall.

“She is extremely dehydrated, frightened, and skinny which is no wonder after being stuck in there for so long,” RSPCA senior veterinarian Vicky Lomax said.

“She also has burns to her ears, and injuries to her front legs as though she has been dragging herself along.”

Rescuers have no clue as to how Daikin was able to climb inside the air conditioning unit.

“It has really surprised us. Cats are known to squeeze into strange places, but this was a very, very tight space.”

Daikin has undergone surgery today while the animal charity begins the search for her owners.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the RSPCA’s Fairfield shelter on 3426 9989.

[LINK: Brisbane Times]

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A cat from down under, appropriately named Voodoo, conjured up some good mojo and white magic in surviving a fall from his 34-story high apartment.

Here’s the story from AFP:

SYDNEY (AFP) — A lucky Australian cat used up one of its lives when it survived a 34-storey plunge from an apartment building window, a report said Wednesday.

The seven-year-old moggy Voodoo vanished from a high-rise flat on the Gold Coast of eastern Queensland state on Monday and reappeared on the ground where his fall was apparently broken by some well-placed bushes.

The cat’s owner, Sheree Washington, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Voodoo was fond of standing on a small ledge outside the 34th-floor flat and looking down on the world.

“Obviously he was looking over too far and went. So he fell 34 floors and was lucky enough to land in some bushes which I think have saved him,” she said.

“We’ve had a look at where he landed and one of the branches that was broken has got cat hair on it and it’s about an inch (2.54 centimeters) in diameter. So he was a very lucky pussy cat,” Washington said.

The fortunate feline got away with only minor injuries, including scratches and a damaged paw.

Reminder: Although it’s possible for cats to survive falls from great heights, many do not. Other’s who do survive suffer significant trauma, including broken bones, broken teeth, and internal bleeding and injuries. If you live in a high-rise, please don’t put your cat in jeopardy.

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Imagine veterinarian George Huber’s surprise when a cat he was helping through labor gave birth to a two-faced kitten in Perth, Australia.

The mother suffered complications during the birthing process, so was brought into the Swan Veterinary Clinic. She subsequently gave birth to three kittens, the smallest of whom had an extra face, the result of a congenital deformity — something went haywire early in its embryonic development. Otherwise, the cat appears healthy. His siblings had no deformities.

The kitten can eat from just one mouth because of a cleft palate, but it able to meow with both mouths simultaneously. And his ability to purr has not been affected.

The kitten’s owners are thinking of calling it either Mr Men or Quasi Modo.

UPDATE: Sadly, the two-faced kitten lost its battle for life yesterday. You can read more here.

See related Cat's Meow entries:

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