Cat of the year Theo saved me from killer blood clot
WHEN Charlotte Dixon woke up in the night feeling queasy, she put it down to some kind of nasty virus.
But her cat Theo sensed otherwise. He pawed at her and meowed loudly to stop her falling asleep – actions doctors say helped save Miss Dixon from a deadly blood clot.
Now he has been crowned National Cat of the Year, though sadly he died a week before he was due to receive the award.
Miss Dixon, 39, from Redditch, Worcestershire, picked up the trophy on his behalf during a ceremony at The Savoy in London.
She used the opportunity to pay tribute to him, saying: ‘I owe my life to Theo. We always had a close bond and I feel this award is a truly wonderful way to celebrate his life.
‘When he was ill as a kitten, I wouldn’t give up on him as I knew he had a real spark and a will to live. I fed him round the clock, kept him warm and talked to him a lot. I think that’s what’s always made us so close.’
Of the night he saved her life, Miss Dixon said: ‘I was confused and shaky but thought I should just get some sleep. Theo wouldn’t let me and was behaving very strangely.
‘He kept batting me with his paw, meowing and jumping on me – keeping me awake. Eventually I decided to call my mum and she called an ambulance. The paramedic recognised the signs of a blood clot straight away and said it was a good thing I hadn’t fallen asleep as I probably wouldn’t have woken up.’ She spent a week in a high dependency unit before making a full recovery. A panel selected Theo, who was eight when he died, for the top prize at Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards. Miss Dixon said: ‘I’m devastated that he’s gone but I’m so proud of him for winning. It shows I’m not the only one who thinks he was a really special cat.’