A rescue kitty rescued Eric—in the nick of time!
When the garage door broke and Eric Russell was pinned 13 feet off the ground, there was no one around to hear his cries for help. Nobody but the little rescue cat who lived next door . . .
That garage door is acting up again,” Eric Russell told his wife, Betty, slipping on his winter coat and heading out the back door.
Crossing a hundred yards to the old gas station he’d converted into a garage/ barn for his tractor and other ranch equipment, the retired Tehkummah, Ontario, mechanic grabbed his tallest ladder so that he could fix the chain and pulley mechanism that worked the 13-foot door.
“That should do it,” Eric muttered, making the quick fix when ... Crack! Slam!
‘I’m going to lose my arm!’ Eric panicked
The heavy door plunged to the ground and the large spring lashed back, coiling like a snake around Eric’s sleeve and wrenching his arm from its socket!
Nearly screaming in pain, the 69-year-old was trapped, high on the ladder, his arm twisted back, unable to move an inch.
“Help!” Eric called, yet there was no one to hear his cries.
Across the street in her townhouse, Mary Johnston, 72, was deep in a mystery novel while her cats napped on the sofa. Mary had first adopted Nellie, a gorgeous Maine Coon. But Nellie was so people-shy, Mary decided, “She needs a kitty friend.” So just a few weeks earlier, she’d gone back to the shelter and found Ivy, who was so skittish, adopters were passing her by.
Now, with Mary lost in her book, she didn’t notice Ivy jump off the couch and climb on to the front windowsill . . . until she bounded onto Mary’s lap!
“Well, hello! You’ve never done this before,” Mary cooed.
Just then, letting out a loud purr, Ivy leapt back onto the window sill, staring intently outside.
Meanwhile, through his fog of pain, Eric noticed a small saw hanging from the wall.
If I can reach it, I could cut off my coat and get free, he thought. Tentatively, he grabbed the handle . . . but it slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground!
“Help!” Eric resumed calling, but his voice was growing weak. The circulation to his arm was cut off, and he could feel it growing numb. I’m going to lose my arm! he panicked. And if I fall . . .
Across the street, Ivy continued to bound from the window onto Mary’s lap, then back again.
“Meeeeooow!” she let out a prolonged howl, as if to say: Please! Someone needs help!
What’s going on, Ivy? Mary wondered, finally heading outside to investigate.
As she got closer to the garage, Mary could hear moaning—and, dashing inside, she gasped to see it was Eric! “Get . . . help!” he pleaded. Mary raced to get Betty, who called 911. Thankfully, fi refighters were able to free Eric.
“Thank you, Mary!” he breathed as they loaded him into an ambulance. Yet Mary knew who the real hero was: Ivy!
Back home, she got out Ivy’s treats as the kitty strutted back and forth, as if to say: Thank goodness you understood! That man needed us!
In the ER, doctors relocated Eric’s shoulder, and although he had severe nerve damage, promised that, with physical therapy, he would make a full recovery.
“You were very lucky. Another few minutes, and we would have had no choice but to amputate your arm.” When Eric learned it was Ivy who had come to his rescue, he marveled, “That is one very special cat!” And once home, he thanked his furry hero in person and rewarded her with a gift card to a local pet store.
Mary used the card to buy a cat tree, and she’s placed it directly in front of that window, where Ivy and Nellie play.
“I still can hardly believe that my rescue cat rescued someone!” Mary beams. “It’s no wonder they had trouble fi nding Ivy a home before: She was meant to be here, watching over all of us!”
“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” —May Sarton
My boyfriend and I took a short trip to Biloxi, Mississippi.
One evening, we decided to eat at a buffet inside a casino. As we were walking to the restaurant, I saw a driver’s license and credit card lying on the floor. We looked around the casino to see if we could spot the woman in the driver’s license photo, but we didn’t have any luck. So we took the items to a security officer who promised to page the woman so she could pick them up. I know how much of a headache it can be to lose something so important. I’m just grateful we were able to spare the woman the hassle of having to replace her license and credit card!
July 23 to Aug 22
Play the lottery or enter a raffle on the 22nd, and the Moon will up your odds of winning. By the 27th, be ready for flirting—and maybe even red-hot romance. Your lucky days: January 23, 24 and 25 Your lucky numbers: 9, 21 and 28