Hero Cat Dies After Saving Two Young Children From Deadly Snake

A beloved family cat named Arthur has died a hero after saving two young children from one of Australia’s top 10 most highly-venomous snakes.

The adorable feline was enjoying time with his family at their home in Australia when an Eastern Brown Snake entered the garden where the two children were playing.

Arthur was said to be ‘following his two little humans around when danger slithered right up’, and the cat wasted no time in jumping into action as he pounced on the reptile and killed it, preventing it from harming his loving family members.

A post shared on the Facebook page for Queensland veterinarian Animal Emergency Service explained that as Arthur went to attack the reptile, he received a ‘fatal envenomation snake bite’. No one witnessed the bite as the family were rushing to get out of the yard, but Arthur collapsed following the incident.

The cat is said to have ‘quickly recovered like nothing was wrong not long after’, but the following morning he was found collapsed again. The hospital explained that collapse events are a ‘common symptom of snake bites, although not a well-known symptom amongst pet owners.’

Arthur was taken to the Animal Emergency Service hospital in Tanawha, but sadly passed away as a result of the bite.

The post explained:

Unfortunately, Arthur’s symptoms were too severe to recover. It was with the heaviest of hearts his owners had to leave Arthur after he gained his angel wings.

His family, understandably devastated, remember him fondly and are forever grateful he saved the children’s lives.

Arthur was said to be a mischievous cat, and he had visited the hospital before after getting into accidents. Staff said he was ‘very much loved’ by the team, and stressed that heroes ‘come in all shapes and sizes’.

They added: ‘Rest in peace Arthur, our little hero. Love from the Animal Emergency Service Tanawha Team.’

The news of Arthur’s heroic actions was met with a wealth of praise from other animal lovers, with Facebook users describing the cat as ‘brave’ and ‘precious’.

One person responded: ‘Rest peacefully Arthur. Such a brave boy to protect your little people like. Condolences to your family.’