Pet Cat Saves Indiana Family from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

By Mary Mitchell

Published on April 06, 2007

The 14-year-old cat, named Winnie, apparently saved the lives of the Keeslings and their 14-year-old son Michael, who paramedics found unconscious on the floor near his room. The cat attempted to wake Cathy by nudging her while wailing loudly and jumping up and down on the bed. After Cathy finally roused, she had difficulty waking her husband, who had undergone neck surgery the previous day. Although Cathy was disoriented, she managed to dial 911. The family was taken from the home, treated for CO poisoning, and soon recovered.

It was later found that a gasoline-powered water pump in the Keeslings’ basement caused the odorless but deadly carbon monoxide gas to build up. Cathy Keesling noted that Winnie acted in a similar manner in the summer of 2006 when a tornado tore through the New Castle region.

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