One fortunate couple is thanking Lilly, their three-year-old adopted tortoiseshell cat, for saving their lives by alerting them to a gas leak in their Lake Oswego, Ore. home.
Lilly and her guardian, Sandi Martin, were playing on the living room floor when the feline curiously approached and sniffed a fireplace valve.
“I went over and sniffed and there was a natural gas smell,” Martin told KGW8.
Her husband Mike called the utility company, which instructed the couple to turn off their cell phones and every other appliance in the room and open the doors. An employee arrived shortly thereafter.
“He came in and tested it and, in fact, he said it was a dangerous gas leak,” Sandi said. “[Lilly] might have saved our lives.”
If Lilly had not detected the leak, the dangerous gasses may have built up and resulted in an explosion.
This isn’t the first time Lilly saved Sandi, though. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the couple couldn’t spend holidays with their family, she struggled to cope emotionally. Adopting Lilly helped pull her out of that dark place.
The Martins, who foster cats, developed a bond with the special needs feline while temporarily caring for her. They officially adopted Lilly in December, Good Morning America (GMA) reported.
“She was just so sweet,” Sandi told GMA. “My husband one evening just said, ‘Would you like to keep Lilly for a Christmas present?’ You’ve probably heard the term ‘foster fail.’ Well, I call that a foster success.”
This heartwarming story reminds us that animals show us the same care and love that we show them; maybe even more!
