Rescue Cat Alerts Owners to Dangerous Gas Leak: 'She Helped Us'

A rescue cat in Lake Oswego, Oregon, likely saved her entire family from a dangerous situation on February 12.

Lilly and her owner Sandi Martin were playing together on their living room floor when the feline stopped to sniff a valve on the fireplace, KGW 8 reported.

“I went over and sniffed and there was a natural gas smell,” Martin recalled. “It was very faint so I didn’t really trust my nose. Then I asked my husband to sniff it, and he sniffed it too.”

Her husband called the gas company, NW Natural, who told him to turn off everything in the room and open their doors. An employee arrived at their home 20 minutes later amid a snow and ice storm.

“He tested the valve and saw that we had a dangerous gas leak,” Martin told KATU. “It could have been a disaster, but instead it’s a nice thing, she helped us.”

Martin adopted Lilly from the Cat Adoption Team (CAT) in Sherwood who praised the extraordinary pet in a news release.

“Being a gas-leak-detecting hero is just one of Lilly’s unique qualities. She also has 21 toes (most cats have 18). Despite her lifesaving skills, Lilly has feline leukemia virus (FeLV), an incurable infection that can shorten a cat’s lifespan,” the release said.

However, this was not the first time Lilly helped her owners through difficulty.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Martin said she and her husband were unable to spend the holidays with their loved ones and adopting the cat gave them much needed support.

Facebook users also praised the rescue kitty for her heroic actions.

“Lilly saved her family’s life in return for saving hers!” one person wrote.

“Thank goodness for Lily keeping my friend Sandi and her family safe!” another commented.

Cats reportedly have nearly 200 million odor-sensitive cells in their noses, whereas humans have five million, according to HillsPet.com.

VIDEO – Rescue Cat Alerts Owners to Dangerous Gas Leak: ‘She Helped Us’

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