On Christmas Eve in Allier, France, a cat preserved his family from a silent death. Belial saved his owners’ lives when they were all suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at their country house near Montluçon, in the Allier region.
On December 25, 2021, the cat’s owner was sleeping when his cat had a problematic reaction. Christophe told 30 Million d’amis that Belial was sleeping near his mistress when he woke up his master by making a strange noise: a very hoarse sound. At first, Christophe did worry much. He went back to sleep. Yet the cat kept coughing. A still sleepy Christophe tried in vain to wake up his wife. The woman had fainted. Soon after, Belial passed out as well. That’s when Christophe realized something was wrong. “I was quite frightened.”, he said.
A severe intoxication
Panicked, Christophe immediately ran upstairs to check on his daughter and a friend sleeping upstairs with Kora, the other family cat. Fortunately, all three of them were awake. The family immediately opened the house’s windows and called the emergency services.
Once the firefighters arrived on the scene, they gave all the members oxygen masks. Belial and his unconscious mistress only woke 45 minutes afterward.
The mother and the cat didn’t wake up until three-quarters of an hour later. Bilal’s reaction had preserved them from severe carbon monoxide poisoning and, worst, death.
By measure of precaution, Christophe and his whole family went to the hospital. After a complete examination, doctors declared them in a healthy condition. They were discharged. “We would have perished without our cat,” observed Christophe.
Nowadays, Belial is doing great and still follows his masters around. As a reward for his bravery, he received his preferred treat: a piece of cream cheese. How French of him!
Heroic animals
Both gendarmes and firefighters agree on the fact that this cat deserves recognition. He acted like a hero on that fateful night.
The 30 Millions d’amis Foundation often highlights tales about courageous animals. Some of them, like Belial, the cat, have used just their extraordinary instinct—the renowned sixth sense—to save human lives.
There have been many testimonials of cats helping diagnose their owners for severe conditions like cancer. Other brave pets like dogs have received specialized training to assist in the rescue of those in need. This applies to fire and rescue dogs working in the mountains and on the seas to find buried or lost persons.