'Hero cat' alerts owner to burning slow cooker in the middle of the night

Submitted by Scott White
Submitted by Scott White

A Portugal Cove-St. Philip's couple is happy their house is intact and is thanking the feline firefighter that saved them.

Scott White awoke in the early hours of Sunday morning to his cat purring and pacing around the bedroom. The cat, a shelter rescue named Joey, even stood on his chest to get his attention.

White quickly realized something was wrong, and went to the kitchen to find the room filling with smoke from a slow cooker he had set hours earlier.

"We went to bed around midnight and it was fine," White said of the Crock-Pot. "And then it wasn't fine when Joey found it."

White turned off the pot before it became a full on fire, and could rest easily knowing his cat had his back.

Joey was adopted from a rescue group in Toronto about 2.5 years ago. He came from a shelter in Quebec where cats are euthanized.

He's not the only pet in the house, however.

White's 10-month-old puppy — who they had believed to be a solid guard dog — slept in their bed through the entire incident.

"I guess we found out the real hero is the cat," White said.

Joey got a little extra love on Sunday, and White said they'll pay more attention when he acts up next time.

Submitted by Scott White
Submitted by Scott White

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador