London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

'My cat saved my life when I had a heart attack'

'My cat saved my life when I had a heart attack'

A woman believes her cat saved her life by waking her up while she was having a heart attack.

Sam Felstead thinks she would have died in her sleep if Billy had not jumped on her and started meowing.

Once awake, Ms Felstead realised she could not move on her right side, so her mother helped her get to hospital.

Two cat behaviour experts told the BBC that Billy could have been reacting to changes in Ms Felstead's behaviour or physiology.


'He knew'


"The doctors said it was a good job I got to hospital in time," said Ms Felstead, who lives in Stapleford in Nottinghamshire.

"He [Billy] doesn't normally sit with me but he knew something was wrong because he wouldn't leave me alone.

"I do think he saved my life and so does everybody else around me."

Billy could have been reacting to his owner sweating more than usual


Feline behaviourist Lucy Hoile believes Billy may have picked up on physiological changes in Ms Felstead, or a change in her behaviour, making him anxious.

"It could be that the fact he jumped on her and was meowing was a sign of his anxiety," she said.

"I do believe he probably did save her life, because that's what enabled her to get medical help, but I wouldn't go down the route of saying he did it on purpose. It was him reacting to the situation."


'He was quite clever'


Ms Hoile said Billy could have picked up on Ms Felstead sweating more, moving differently from normal, making noises, being distressed in her sleep, or even changes in her smell.

"I was wet through with sweat so maybe that's what he sensed," said Ms Felstead.

"He was quite clever, bless him. He wanted to stay beside me all the time. Normally he sits next to my mum all the time, he's not interested in me. He loves my mum and gives her lots of love."

Billy does not normally give Ms Felstead any attention

Linda Ryan, a certificated clinical animal behaviourist for cats, said Ms Felstead could have been behaving in a way that was interesting for or distressing to Billy.

"It might have been that the cat was startled or distressed. The movement or twitching was attracting its attention, because cats are stimulated by movement," she said.

"It's likely to do with the change in behaviour, I would imagine. Cats don't have the same social behaviours as social species, such as dogs or horses or rabbits, as they are more solitary in nature.

"Whilst it's easy to believe this was a deliberate act of altruism, correlation does not equal causation, therefore it was unlikely to be deliberately saving her life."


'Not bothered'


Ms Felstead was in hospital from 8 August to 11 August. She had an angioplasty, where a balloon was used to stretch open a narrow artery. She will also need to take medication.

"When I came out of hospital he wouldn't go near me for a good few hours, whether I smelt funny from coming out of the hospital I don't know," she said.

She feels "very grateful" towards Billy but he is apparently nonchalant.

"I don't think he has one bit of a clue what's happened," she said.

"As long as I feed him he's not bothered."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×