Hero cat saves owner’s life over 50 times by detecting diabetic attacks
HAZEL PARKYN’S rescue moggy Walter really is the cat’s whiskers.
The nine-year-old puss has saved his owner’s life more than FIFTY times by waking her up.
Hazel, former psychiatric nurse, has type one diabetes and if her blood sugar drops while she sleeps, she can suffer seizures and even fall into a coma — with potentially fatal consequences.
Incredibly, Walter can smell the chemical change in her body that happens when her sugar is getting low, and pokes her around the face until she wakes up.
Hazel, of Woodville, Dorset, said: “Walter has become my life-saver and my little hero.
“It’s ironic, as we had got a dog hoping she would be able to help me with my condition — but instead the cat stepped up.”
The first time Walter went into action, Hazel, 48, did not register what he was doing.
She said: “Wally is a bit demanding. He doesn’t like being wet and, if it rains, he comes in through the cat flap and wakes me up — even if it’s the middle of the night — to be towelled down.
“So the first time he helpd me out, he was smacking my face and I thought, ‘Oh, he’s wet’ — but I then realised he was dry.
‘He’s amazing’
“But he would not shut up and he kept smacking me around the face with his paw.
“In the end I put my light on. The room felt really blurry and I realised my blood sugar level must be low. I checked, and it was at a potentially life-threatening level.
“I realised he was telling me. Since then, the same thing has happened over and over again.”
Hazel’s husband Darren, 49, works for United Biscuits in distribution, and does a lot of night shifts, so Walter now stays by Hazel’s side as she sleeps, as her “warning system”.
Hazel said: “When Walter comes in at night and settles on the bed, I know that I’m safe.” Cat behaviourist Clare Hemington explains that cats’ sense of smell is 14 times stronger than humans’.
She said: “When someone is suffering from a disease such as diabetes, chemical changes take place in their body that produce a smell that is too subtle for our noses.
“But it’s likely cats can detect this smell and this is the reason Walter is able to detect when his owner’s blood sugar drops.”
Doctor Marios Anastasiadis said: “While I’ve heard of dogs being able to do this, this is the first time I’ve heard of a cat.”
Animal lover Hazel has another cat, two rabbits and a Labrador called Chloe — who she had got to try to help her with her condition.
She said: “When we first got Chloe, we were going to get her trained to help with my diabetes.
“But we quickly realised that while she is lovely, she hasn’t a clue.
“Wally is the one that we thought would be thick and he’s turned out to be just amazing.
“Normally dogs are renowned for this . . . but I’ve got a cat instead.”
STAR OF THE WEEK
NERVOUS Ned is a three-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer who suffers from epilepsy brought on by anxiety.
His owner Iain Gorton, 38, from Congleton in Cheshire, had a shock when he first saw Ned fitting in the garden.
Iain says: “One minute he was his usual happy self, then he got really disoriented, collapsed and started fitting.
“The vet told me being anxious could bring on an episode.”
Vets said Iain should limit Ned’s salt intake to reduce the risk of him having a seizure and to keep him calm.
Iain adds: “As well as following a strict diet, we’ve also put him on medication. But he is a star – despite what he suffers, he’s still a wonderful boy.”
Pet vet with Sean McCormack
Gemma Hidge, 42, from Nottingham, recently left home and wonders how her five-year-old Labrador Nell will react when she FaceTimes her parents.
Q: Does my dog understand that it’s my friends and family on the other side of the screen I’m video-chatting with? Will it upset her?
A: Lots of owners let friends and family talk to their dogs on FaceTime. Nell will recognise their voices but on a small phone screen, dogs will struggle to recognise faces.
If they associate your friends’ and family’s voices with fun experiences, FaceTime can be as positive for them as it is for you.
Some dogs, however, might get frustrated or confused as to where the voices are coming from and may even get distressed. If you think your dog might enjoy an occasional video chat, there is no reason not to include them and see how it goes.
Kyle cane, 29, from St Albans, Herts, has a two-year-old boxer called Kiki, which twitches a lot when she falls asleep.
Q: As soon as Kiki dozes off, she starts to fidget, moan and kick her legs. Is it possible for dogs to have bad dreams? What do they dream about?
A: Just like us, dogs dream when they drift off to sleep.
While nobody can know for sure what they are actually dreaming about, sometimes – because of their movements – we can take an educated guess.
If their legs are going like the clappers, they might be running after squirrels or even fleeing monsters. Who knows?
If Kiki looks distressed when she sleeps, wake her up and give her a cuddle.
But there is no need to worry or interrupt her sleep just because she is twitching or her legs seem to be chasing something.
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