A cat owner has claimed their pet saved their life from a hidden danger in their home they had no idea existed – all thanks to one strange thing the cat was doing
We don’t always know why our pets do some of the things they do, but it turns out that paying attention to their strange behaviours could actually help keep us safe. Cats, dogs, and other pets are known for exhibiting some bizarre behaviours that we often just brush off as them being “silly”. You may have heard your dog barking at nothing, or seen your cat staring intently out the window, and simply thought they’re just doing what animals do.
But it turns out that sometimes the strange behaviour your pets exhibit could be a warning sign for something you can’t see. One cat was recently praised as a “hero” after it potentially saved the lives of its owners – all because it hissed and pawed at a plug socket.
In a TikTok video shared by an account for two Siberian cats named Luka and Tilly, the owner of the felines filmed Luka as he was fixated on one plug socket in their home. The cat would hiss at the socket, reach his paw out toward it, and sniff it, but the owner originally thought he was “just being a cat”.
However, when Luka repeatedly hissed at the socket for multiple days, the owners decided to “investigate”. Although they were initially concerned they had something trapped in their walls, what they actually discovered was much worse – and could have even been life-threatening.
In the caption of the video, the owner explained: “We laughed at first, thinking he was just being a cat, but when he repeatedly hissed at this one socket, we decided to investigate.
“It turns out there was some really badly done wiring that was extremely dangerous. It meant we got the whole house checked out and identified several dangerous bits of wiring.
“The electrician said it was some of the worst he had seen. Trust your kitties, people. They are clever.”
Faulty wiring can be a serious issue. Plugging something into a socket that hasn’t been wired properly can create sparks that can easily start a fire in your home, while in some circumstances, you could even get a nasty electric shock.
Even if you’re lucky enough not to be harmed by faulty wiring, it could be your wallet that takes a hit. Bad wiring wastes electricity, which means higher energy bills.
Commenters on the video were quick to praise Luka as a “hero” for potentially saving his owner’s life. Others shared similar stories of their own pets detecting things they were completely unaware of themselves.
One person said: “That’s crazy! Give that cat loads of treats.”
Another added: “My cat knew when my son was about to have, or having, a seizure.”
A third wrote: “My cat detected my cancer first.”
How to spot faulty wiring in your home
If you don’t have a cat that can sniff out your dangerous plug sockets, there are other ways to spot the warning signs of bad wiring. It’s essential to be vigilant for these signs, even if you’ve lived in your house for years, as wiring that was once good can deteriorate over time.
You should watch out for:
- Dimming or flickering lights
- Unusual odours, such as the smell of burning
- Sparking from devices or outlets
- Hot or discoloured outlets or switches
- Frequently blown fuses or tripped breakers
- Electrical buzzing
If you suspect your wiring may be faulty, contact an electrician who can help identify and resolve the issue.
