Awesome - Cat Dubbed A Hero After Saving Infant's Life

 

Dogs often get top-billing as man’s best friend, but cats have proven themselves to be capable of winning the title as well. That was the case with one very tuned-in tuxedo cat that picked up right away there was something wrong with a babysitter. As if smelling the issue on the person, the cat was not only able to sense the problem, but the feline was also able to warn its owners to the issue effectively enough that a bigger tragedy was averted.

A Cat That Earned Its Keep

Even dog people will have to agree this story proves one particular cat was definitely a keeper in the family it ended up protecting, especially in how the feline was able to protect a newborn boy while the parents were away. The family repeatedly highlights their cat as a hero and should. After all, what might have occurred if the babysitter had gotten away with what she was doing?

Cats and Babies

When a new baby comes home, cat owners are regularly warned by medical staff that the feline will likely have a problem with the new family member, acting out and being a problem. They also warn parents to keep the cat away from a child because of the risk of the claws. There’s been more than one story of a spoiled cat making its anger known peeing somewhere when a new baby showed up. That said, cats do just fine with new babies when a parent is around, and that was the case with Zara, their family cat.

Pet Bonding

Cats tend to pick out a particular person in a family in the house they live in as their primary human, and that was the case with Zara. When Carrie and Dennis had their baby boy, it became very clear their cat was quite enamored with the baby and decided Ollie, the new family member, was her particular focus of attention. In fact, Zara made a point to be available every morning so she could sniff Ollie and be nearby.

A Pleasant Surprise

Carrie and Dennis as expectant parents were assuming Zara was going to be a bit grumpy when Ollie was born and showed up. Fortunately, Zara was a very different feline and became very attentive of the newborn and infatuated with him. Zara seemed to love snuggling with Ollie, never scratching or clawing him, and her meowing and purring soothed the baby regularly, especially at nap time. As soon as the baby was moved, Zara was glued to him whichever room the baby was in.

Early Months

With the initial newborn months, Carrie was present all the time and found it interesting and amusing how much attention Zara gave the newborn. More than a few times she would catch Zara walking into Ollie’s room while he was napping to see the baby and check on him. It turned out to be an unknown premonition.

Transition Time

Unfortunately, Carrie was a working mother, and her maternity leave was coming to an end. She was going to have to go back to work. Carrie and Dennis made everything work with their income but they both needed to be employed. Ollie was nine months old by then, and it was time for Carrie to find a nanny for him.

Trust

Carrie didn’t want to just pick someone out of the newspaper or phone book, so she opted for a known person to be a nanny for her boy. That turned out to be a family friend named Alyssa. It seemed to make sense. Carrie and Dennis both knew Alyssa and were very familiar with her. Plus, the young woman needed income, so there seemed to be a win-win fit with the arrangement.

Getting Started

Alyssa was 21 and needed additional income for her own living support and expenses. Taking on a babysitting job was just what she needed. Carrie knew her for years and came to the conclusion it was the best situation for Ollie in terms of his safety. However, appearances were deceiving. Unknown as to why, Ollie as a baby started acting very different after a few weeks after the babysitting started.

Watch the Cat

When Alyssa had visited previously, Zara was there to inspect and snuggled with the young lady every time. However, once Alyssa became the nanny for Ollie, Zara switched gears dramatically. The cat flat out hated her physically. The feline would hiss at Alyssa in front of Carrie and Dennis, especially as Alyssa moved closer to Ollie. Carrie didn’t pick up on it right away but in hindsight she remembered her cat’s behavior later.

Chalk Things Up to a Smell

Alyssa brushed off the cat’s behavior quickly. She had a dog and figured out loud to Carrie that the dog’s smell probably freaked out Zara. This seemed to make sense. However, one day when she came home she found Ollie with a break on his lip. Alyssa dismissed it as the boy playing with a toy in his crib. Carrie got a weird feeling. A few days later Ollie was acting odd again. Specifically, the baby would flinch if Carrie and Dennis were across rooms and she had to yell to get Dennis’ attention. Ollie flinched again as Carrie saw his behavior and tried to relax the boy. What was going on?

Paranoid Parent

Carrie found herself wondering if her thoughts were bleeding into paranoia. There had been plenty of examples on TV or the news of babysitters abusing kids without their parents knowing. Was that happening to Ollie? Dennis picked up on Carrie’s concern and decided to go a step further. He put a recording device on the cat’s collar that would be nondescript, not easy to see. Zara was an easy observer; the cat was always around Ollie daily.

Meowing and Something Else

At first, the recording picked up usual sounds. The cat generally walked around the house and would meow to trigger a presence with Ollie. However, then Alyssa’s voice could be heard. They also heard Ollie crying. Alyssa’s voice wasn’t a calming one. Instead, it turned to yelling, and then Carrie and Dennis realized Alyssa was screaming at their kid to shut up. It went on again and again and again. Profanity and swearing were all included. Alyssa was also swearing at the cat. Zara started hissing viciously at the same time.

Appearances Don’t Match

By the time Dennis and Carrie got home, however, Alyssa was acting as if nothing had happened. Everything was in order, no yelling or swearing was happening and the home looked like it was all order. Did Dennis and Carrie just imagine what they heard? It was clear to them Ollie was being abused, and the behavior of him and the cat all made sense now.

The First Police Report

When Ollie’s lip had been cut and they found blood on his pajamas, the parents did file a police report, but the prosecutor’s office said there was not enough to pursue any charges with, so the case was dropped. This time Carrie and Dennis felt with the recording they had the evidence. But they decided they needed more.

More Cameras

The couple decided to make sure there were cameras both in Ollie’s room as well as the living room. Both were the most common areas Alyssa would be with the baby when she was present. They left that day hoping Zara would warn them on the camera, but they weren’t prepared for how fast the abuse began. It was only 15 minutes after they left that Alyssa lit into Ollie again.

Shock and Parental Horror

On live footage they could see Alyssa screaming at the baby boy, and it was clear to them Alyssa was unstable. They called the police rushing back to the house. The babysitter was sitting on Ollie, putting her weight on him while screaming at the infant.

The Confrontation

The parents were in shock the abuse had been as bad as it was. As Carrie charged into the house, Alyssa was surprised to see here. Soon enough she started to become defensive, starting to ask questions like what was going on and if there was something going on with Ollie she didn’t know about. Carrie didn’t have to engage much. The police were there in minutes, and Alyssa was arrested for child endangerment based on what they initially saw on the camera. 60 days later, Alyssa appeared in court and this time she was going to be charged.

Not Taken Serious Enough

The court, however, gave Alyssa a second chance. She was offered counseling and anger management before ending up with jail time. If she participated, she would avoid jail. Alyssa wasn’t an idiot, and she picked the diversion path. For Carrie and Dennis, however, they couldn’t let someone take care of their boy again. However, Zara the cat had in fact saved the day.

A Good Recovery

Ollie’s behavior went back to normal, and he has grown like a normal, happy boy with loving parents. Zara continues to chase and watch after him wherever the boy goes, and she’s constantly talking to him with her meows and purring. Peace seems to have returned in the household, and Dennis and Carrie don’t want it to be any other way ever again.