Mississippi Man Credits "Guard Cat" With Saving His Life During Attempted Home Invasion

If you think house cats don't have what it takes to defend a property, let us introduce you to a  20-pound calico named Bandit.

"You hear of guard dogs," owner Fred Everitt told Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "This is a guard cat."

The 68-year-old retired former oral and maxillofacial surgeon and Bandit share a home in Belden, Mississippi.

Four years ago, when he adopted her from the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, Everitt would have never guessed that she would one day save his life. But in the early hours of Sunday, July 24, she did just that.

Everitt told the paper that sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. he heard Bandit meowing loudly from the kitchen. At first, he said he thought nothing of it. But then she jumped onto his bed, pulled the comforter off of him, and began clawing at his arms.

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"She had never done that before," Everitt explained to Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "I went, 'What in the world is wrong with you?'"

Trying to figure out what she wanted, he got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. When Everitt turned on the light, he saw two men at his back door. One was holding a gun while the other was using a crowbar to pry the door open.

By the time Everitt got his handgun from his bedroom, the two men had already slipped away into the night.

"It did not turn into a confrontational situation, thank goodness," he told the paper. "But I think it's only because of the cat."

Everitt believes Bandit possibly saved his life that night.

"I want to let people know that you not only save a life when you adopt a pet or rescue one," he said. "The tides could be turned. You never know when you save an animal if they're going to save you."