Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that has the ability to kill quickly.
Without carbon monoxide detectors how are you to know if there is a deadly leak in your home?
For the Stamper family, it was 4-month-old kitten Thor who saved the day.
After a storm had knocked out the family’s power they set up a generator in their garage in order to keep their refrigerator and other appliances running. At some point, the door to the garage was closed and the generator started venting its toxic gases into the house.
The family went to sleep not knowing anything was amiss until little Thor started making a fuss.
Matriarch of the Stamper family, Heidi, was awoken in the early hours of the morning to distressed cries from the young kitten. He was very obviously feeling sick and so Heidi took him outside so he could get some fresh air. He recovered after a short time outside so the two went back in and Heidi went back to sleep.
After another short while, Thor started his screaming again, this time waking up the 2 Stamper children.
13-year-old Paige and 11-year-old Quinn woke up to the sounds of Thor crying and screeching again and they knew something was wrong. The kids went to ask their parents for help and about what to do with the flustered kitten, but they had a hard time waking the adults.
Finally awake, but still quite groggy, the family figured out something wasn’t right in the house so they all went outside and then called the fire department.
When firefighters arrived they brought out a handheld carbon monoxide detector and discovered that the house was full of the deadly gas. The family were rushed to the hospital for urgent care and Heidi and the children ended up being flown to a different hospital to receive specialized care.
Because carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless it is often referred to as a “Silent Killer”.
Luckily for the Stamper family, Thor was not a silent kitten and he made a fuss when he started feeling ill. Due to the small size of most house pets, they feel the effects of the carbon monoxide before humans do and, in this case, Thor was able to alert the family that something wasn’t right.
Carbon monoxide detectors are required by law in 27 of the 50 states.
They are easy to find at most home hardware stores, are not overly expensive, and are easy to install, there is really no excuse not to have at least one detector in your home. The Stamper family have now installed multiple and have convinced family members and neighbors to install them in their homes too.
In the end, Thor managed to save his family’s lives and continues on to meow another day.
Cats are not only great companions and hilariously silly little creatures, but they could also save your life.
Meet Thor, the hero cat, and his mom Heidi in the video below.
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