He tried to teach his cat to dial 911. Years later, when it was finally needed — his cat did the unthinkable
Gary firmly believes that he was rescued by his ginger cat.
Cats are often labeled as stubborn or unfriendly animals that don’t bother being affectionate. However, they are often misunderstood; some felines can be so loving and caring that they make attempts to rescue their owner! Here’s the bizarre yet heartwarming story from September 13 of a cat who did just that to save his owner during an emergency, as reported by NBC.
For Gary Rosheisen, his ginger cat with orange and tan stripes, Tommy, has always been a special house member. But unbeknownst to Rosheisen, Tommy was a loyal and clever cat who would go on to do the unthinkable during an emergency. When Officer Patrick walked into Rosheisen's apartment following a 911 call, he was surprised to find an orange cat next to the phone, with no other person around. The officer noticed that Rosheisen had fallen from his wheelchair and was unable to get up. Surprised at the possibility of a cat dialing 911, Officer Patrick said, "I know it sounds kind of weird." However, Rosheisen firmly believes that he was rescued by his ginger cat, who'd tapped the phone in the right places to trigger an emergency call.
Rosheisen, who was suffering from pain due to osteoporosis and seizures, which unfortunately caused him to fall, was unable to get help by himself. Rosheisen, who usually wears his medical alert necklace, wasn't wearing one at the time of the event and was struggling to alert the paramedics about his problem. However, the officer revealed that they had received an emergency call from Rosheisen's apartment, but there was no one on the phone. When the officers grew suspicious about receiving no response from the other end, they rushed to the scene to find a cat next to the phone, while Rosheisen lay just out of his wheelchair's reach.
Rosheisen revealed that he had tried to teach his cat how to dial 911 previously and how to press the speed dial button. But when the cat appeared to show interest in picking up the lessons, Rosheisen did not take him seriously. However, the ginger cat was indeed picking up on the lessons and knew exactly when to use it. According to Rosheisen, the speed dial button is located right next to the speakerphone, which has now helped Tommy save his owner's life.
Rosheisen had adopted Tommy a few years earlier to help manage his blood pressure and stress, hoping it would help him stay calm. Well, it’s safe to say Tommy, who is now considered a "hero" to Rosheisen, not only fulfilled his purpose but went far beyond it. A study authored by Margaret Mases and Claudia A. F. Wascher in 2023 found that cats were able to follow human pointing cues (both direct pointing and cross-body pointing) to choose between two objects. The study revealed that cats can understand referential signals from humans, which is often considered a sophisticated form of social cognition.
More on ScoopUpworthy
Zebby the support cat named national cat of the year for helping owner with hearing impairment
Cat dubbed 'best dad' after supporting his baby cat mama during labor: 'Baby daddy goals'
Share on Facebook
