CUSHING — A Coon cat named Mojo is credited with saving a couple from carbon monoxide poisoning earlier this month.
William Aboud said that on the night of Monday, May 4, his wife Pat complained of a headache after dinner but neither thought much of it.
Later in the evening, the headache got worse so Pat went to take a pain reliever when Mojo followed her up the stairs and meowed like they had never heard her meow before.
Bill went upstairs to check on the cat and he became out of breath when he got up there.
Then, he went downstairs and also started getting a headache when the cat curled up on the floor and renewed her loud, unusual cries. He got on the floor to comfort the cat.
At about 11 p.m., Pat came down to see what was wrong with the cat. Bill said he was planning to take Mojo to the veterinarian. But when he began walking, everything seemed to slow down and he couldn’t think straight.
A friend was staying in another part of the house and Pat called for their help. They placed Bill in a chair with wheels and wheeled him out of the house.
They called 9-1-1 and crews responded quickly. Tests showed high levels of carbon monoxide that was traced to a malfunctioning propane furnace in the basement.
Bill was taken to MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport where it was decided he needed to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber. The nearest available one was at Massachusetts General in Boston.
He was flown by LifeFlight to a Boston hospital, where he spent two-and-a-half hours in the chamber where oxygen is pumped in, replacing the carbon monoxide in his blood.
Pat was given oxygen at the scene but did not need additional treatment. The family friend had no ill effects, likely because the section of the house he was staying was not above the basement.
Mojo, an indoor cat who originally belonged to the couple’s daughter who is in college, was placed in a car so she had access to fresh air.
Bill said they had expired fire alarms in their home, none of which included carbon monoxide detectors. He said that has been remedied and new alarms that can also detect carbon monoxide have been installed. The furnace has also been repaired.
He said other people who have heard the story have also been checking their alarms to make sure they have not expired.
Mojo is getting extra treats for her heroism.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
