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Winnie the Cat

by Kera from Wimberley

Winnie the domestic shorthair (cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com)
Winnie the domestic shorthair (cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com)

There are thousands of pets in homes and on the streets across America. There are so many of them that many people do not give them a second thought. Some even think they are worthless and do not mind that thousands of them are euthanized every year because no one wants them. However, this cat is one example of just how much a little love can mean to anyone, person or animal.

Winnie is a 15-year-old plain housecat that lives with her family in New Castle, Indiana. In March of 2007, the Keesling family was sleeping peacefully in their home when the family cat began to act strangely. Jumping on her owners' bed, she began yowling very loudly until Cathy Keesling, wife and mother of one, awoke and, as she reported later, "felt nauseated." She was unable to wake her husband, and decided to call in emergency. When they arrived, they evacuated the home, including Michael, the couple's 14-year-old son, who was found lying unconscious near his bedroom.

The cause of the panic had turned out to be poisonous carbon monoxide gas leaking from a faulty gas-powered water pump in the family's basement. Thanks to Winnie's alarm-raising, however, the entire family recovered from carbon monoxide poisoning. It just goes to show that help can come from the unlikeliest of places!

Page created on 7/6/2008 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 7/6/2008 12:00:00 AM

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