SASKATOON, Saskatchewan (CTV News) – An Australian family cat is reported to be a “four-legged hero” after he died fighting a venomous snake that slipped close to two small children.
The awful story of the short-haired cat named Arthur was told in a Facebook post by the Animal Emergency Service, which provides urgent veterinary care in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
“Heroes come in all shapes and sizes,” the group said. “His family, understood devastated, fondly remembers him and are forever grateful that he saved the lives of the children.”
The cat was playfully following around two small children in the family yard, when they were approached by a brown snake from the east, which Australian Geographic magazine listed as one of the top 10 highly venomous snakes in the country. The press also said that the species are well known for their aggressiveness and agility.
“Arthur took action by protecting his young family by killing the snake.” Unfortunately, in the process, Arthur received a snake bite of fatal poisoning, “the group wrote in the post.
The post said that in the process of removing the children from the yard, no one had seen the actual bite, only mentioning that “Arthur collapsed and recovered quickly as if nothing had gone wrong not long after.”
In the loving memory of Arthur, the four-legged hero. ♥ ️🐾🐈 Heroes come in all shapes and sizes! Arthur, an adorable …
Posted by the Animal Emergency Service on Sunday, February 14, 2021
Published by Animal Emergency Service on Sunday, February 14, 2021, Animal Emergency Service explained that animals that fall after snake bites are common, but it is not a well-known fact for pet owners. A snake bite from an eastern brown snake can cause progressive paralysis and can stop the blood from clotting, leading to the collapse of the victims.
The next morning, when the family found that Arthur had collapsed again and could not get up, they rushed him to a hospital in the rural town of Tanawha, 90 kilometers north of Brisbane.
“Unfortunately, Arthur’s symptoms were too severe to recover,” the group said. “With the hardest of hearts, its owners had to leave Arthur after he gained his angel wings.
The staff at the Animal Emergency Service was no stranger to Arthur, calling him “our little hero” who “was always mean.” “He visited us before he had accidents and was very loved by our team.”
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