Cats are said to have nine lives, and this fearless feline
used one of his to save that of a little boy.
Ginger tomcat Opie was shot by a stray bullet which smashed
through a living room window of owner Angelica Sipe's home in
Pennsylvania.
Hero: Cat Opie is recovering at home
The bullet ricocheted off the couch and hit the cat in the head,
coming out of his neck and back into his shoulder and out his
armpit rib area, Sipe told Fox43.
Saved: The bullet landed inches from the boy's head
It eventually lodged in a cushion, inches from where her
three-year-old son Daemire was sleeping.
Sipe told the news channel: "It took me a second to realise what
just happened. The first thing I did was check on my son and he was
sound asleep.
Gunshot: The bullet smashed through the family's window
"Then I saw my cat on the floor. It could have been my son."
Heroic Opie was rushed to an emergency vets where he underwent
surgery for muscle damage. He also has a drainage tube and
stitches.
Injured: The bullet passed through Opie's head and shoulder
The poorly puss, whose vet bills have reached $1,000, is
expected to recover.
Sipe added: "He was my son's little hero, so I need to keep him
around."