5 Cats Who Did Extraordinary Things

Scarlett – Saved Her Kittens from a Fire

On the 29th March 1996 in East New York, an old abandoned auto dealer’s premises caught fire. The fire was almost extinguished when a fireman heard meowing nearby and went to investigate. He discovered 2 small kittens, 3 more across the street, and their mother Scarlett badly burned nearby. Scarlett is amazing in that she could only carry one kitten at a time, and so must have made 5 separate trips into the fire to save them. Her eyes were swollen shut from her injuries but she used her nose to touch each kitten to make sure they were all there. They were all later treated and placed in intensive care, with Scarlett earning her name as her story was similar to Scarlett O’Hara’s in the film Gone With the Wind. Unfortunately one of the kittens later died, but the other 4 were successfully rehomed. Scarlett herself was rehomed by a writer and lived for another 12 years after her ordeal.

Casper – The Commuter Cat 

Casper, a well-known rescue cat from Plymouth intrigued not only the Plymouth locals but also the attention of the media. This little black and white cat decided to break the mold of the stereotypical cat. Instead of eating, sleeping, and playing Casper added travel to his routine. 

Casper got his name because like the ghost he would often disappear from his owners. 

Like all commuters waiting to get on the bus, Casper the cat also politely queued in line until it was his turn to hop on the bus. Unaware as to how Casper had been spending his days, his owner accidentally discovered his secret. She had been waiting to get on the bus herself one day and to her surprise there was Casper. He had followed her down and the driver at the time revealed that Casper the cat was in fact a frequent traveler on his bus. 

He was such a hit that he made the news, his owner went on to write a book exploring his adventures. His age was never known but he was said to be about twelve years old. Unfortunately, Casper passed when a car hit him without stopping to see if he was okay. He touched many hearts when on his adventures and those that never met him but read of his adventures. 

Tara – Saved Her Owner’s Son

Tara the Californian cat became an internet sensation when she did the incredible act of saving another life. 

Unaware of his neighbours Labrador and Chow mix approaching, four-year-old Jeremy rode his bike into his family drive when the dog attacked him. Tara, who the young boy now refers to as his hero, jumped to the rescue tackling the neighbours dog, chasing it off the family property.  

This brave cat has melted the hearts of anyone the story has reached and this hero cat received an award usually received by dogs for her selfless act of kindness and bravery. Tara received minor injuries and her story has collated quite the amount of views on social media along with the video clip making its way onto websites such as the BBC. 

Dusty – The Cat burglar

Dusty the cat is no regular cat, this  American feline is a thief. Dusty would sneak out into the night calling into different houses in his neighborhood, stealing quite the selection, returning with his stolen goods the following morning. 

Dusty, who is also known as ‘Klepto’ by his neighbors, is said to have stolen up to six hundred items within the space of three years. Some of these items he takes are children’s toys and gloves to name a few, with a particular fondness for swimming trunks and swimming suits which surprisingly his neighbours came to have a shortage of. 

Dusty’s claim to fame came in 2011 when Animal Planet installed a night vision camera that followed his late-night routine. This story became so well known that Dusty made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, followed by other public appearances. 

The list below contains the full extent of Dusty’s thievery. 

• 16 Car Wash Mitts
• 7 Sponges 
• 213 Dish Towels 
• 7 Wash Clothes 
• 5 Towels 
• 18 Shoes 
•  73 Socks 
• 100 Gloves 
• 1 Pair of Mittens 
• 3 Aprons 
• 40 Balls 
• 4 Pairs of Underwear
• 1 Dog Collar 
• 1 Bag of Water Balloons 
• 1 Pair of Pajama Pants 
• 8 Bathing suits 
• 8 Miscellaneous objects 

In order to avoid more items being stolen, Dusty’s owners have put a bell on his collar to alert neighbours of his arrival. 

Willow – Traveled 1,600 Miles

Willow is a calico cat who disappeared from her home in Colorado during house renovations, only to be found in New York City 5 years later. The two locations are approximately 1,600 miles apart. She is a great reminder of the benefits of having your pet microchipped, as she was later reunited with her family using the details found on her microchip.