Her cat kept headbutting her under the chin until she woke up in the night — then she suddenly lost feeling on one side of her body
A persistent nudge or paw from an animal can be the first sign that something is seriously wrong. A family in Colorado learned that lesson after noticing unusual behavior that did not seem important at first. That night, a pet cat refused to settle, repeatedly nudging its owner awake in a way that felt urgent rather than playful. As reported by KRDO on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, when the owner, Shilah Marette, finally woke, she suddenly lost feeling on one side of her body, a frightening shift that followed the persistent headbutting under her chin. The full weight of that night only became clear with time, as instinct and timing proved to be life-changing.
Shilah later shared that this was not the first time her cat, Tinnie, had acted as a warning. About three years earlier, the 20-pound Russian Blue behaved unusually around her mother. Tinnie usually ignored her, but one evening, he stayed glued to her lap and would not move. “I knew he was something special when he knew Mom was having a heart attack,” Shilah said. Later that night, her mother began to feel unwell, and the family called 911. Doctors confirmed she was having a heart attack. Looking back, Shilah said the signs were clear. “He’s kind of a family hero, I guess,” she added, noting that the cat’s behavior stood out once they understood what had happened.
After that experience, Shilah learned to pay close attention to Tinnie’s actions. So when he began headbutting her under the chin in the middle of the night about a year later, she did not ignore it. She woke her husband, and moments later realized something was not right. She lost feeling on one side of her body and understood she was having a stroke. “He was persistent on waking me up,” she said. “If he hadn’t woken me up, I don’t think I would have seen the morning light.” Grateful for what he had done twice, the family entered Tinnie into America’s Favorite Pet competition. “He’s my baby in every sense of the way. I think I’d be lost without him,” Shilah told the outlet. “They save us as much as we save them.”
Pets can mean a great deal to their owners and, at times, can even help save their lives in unexpected ways. In another story, a man named Justin Jones credited his orange cat, Jack, with giving him hope during a life-threatening heart attack. “It’s my 48th birthday today, and the reason I am here is because of a little orange cat named Jack,” he said. While in the emergency room, he focused on Jack and whispered, “Thank you,” which helped him stay calm as nurses treated him. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,” one nurse told him, and soon his condition began to improve, showing how the bond with his pet gave him strength in a critical moment.
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