Cat nominated for award after it saved diabetic owner’s life

They're traditionally thought of as aloof, disloyal and selfish. But if Willow's story is to be believed, cats can be just as emotionally attuned as dogs. “She actually did save my life, because I wouldn't be here otherwise. I wouldn't have been here if it weren't for her,” says Amanda Jameson, who suffers from diabetes and owns Willow along with her partner Ray. Amanda suffers from diabetes and Crohn's Disease. One night she fell unconscious in bed, and Ray, who was downstairs watching TV, was completely unaware, until Willow stepped in and began to bite Ray's hands. "I got up, as you do, walked to the door, and as I got to the door, Willow ran about halfway up, three-quarters, and she kept looking back at me and at the stairs, so I followed her, when I turned the corner she ran in, jumped on the bed, and I saw Amanda was slumped over. And she was unresponsive," demonstrates Ray, reconstructing his journey up the stairs. Considering cats are not often traditionally thought of as altruistic, how unusual is Willow's behavior? "So we do often see a change in their behavior, particularly when they're after something. So it's not uncommon that cats will escalate that kind of behavior into biting. And it is something that just needs to be managed in the house. But in this case, it did really help to save a mother's life, which is amazing," says Sammie Ravenscroft a Regional Behaviour Officer at Cats Protection. Adopted as a stray cat, if she wins the prize, Willow may turn out to be an orphan who made it good. "I love her more than ever, I can't thank her enough, and she is the world to me," says Amanda. This article was provided by The Associated Press.