Animals are currently being studied to determine if they are able to detect cancer and other conditions in humans

According to the Humane Society of Berks County, Rusty, a 10-year-old cat that Claire Nelson adopted from the Reading shelter two years ago would not leave her alone last Wednesday morning.

“I was having chest pains and was walking around my apartment about 4 a.m. on Wednesday,” said Nelson. “Rusty is normally a very laid-back, relaxed cat, but he wouldn‟t settle down. If I lay on the bed, he‟d jump onto my chest, hitting me with his paws and meowing. If I sat in a chair, he‟d jump up and put his paws on my chest. I would try to ignore him and go back to sleep, but he‟d only get louder.”

Rusty's odd behavior combined pushed Nelson to take her chest pains seriously and she called her doctor in Exeter and made an appointment, but Nelson had to take two buses to get there, and at the second bus stop, her chest pains grew worse and she almost passed out.

"I knew I wouldn‟t make it if I waited," said Nelson, so she called 911 and was taken to the hospital where they determined she was having a heart attack.

“I‟m a retired critical care nurse,” said Nelson. “I knew when I saw the EKG what was happening to me, and when I got to the hospital and they called for atropine, I realized that Rusty had saved my life.”

Though Nelson had to be hospitalized for a week and receive two coronary stents, her first thoughts were not of her own health, but of Rusty's well-being. Luckily a friend had access to her apartment to feed and look after him.

When Nelson first went looking for a cat, “None of the other cats jumped right out at me,” said Nelson, “But the technician said, 'Come meet this cat. No one looks twice at him because he‟s a little older.' He started purring and rubbing against my ankles, and that‟s when I decided to take Rusty home. And I‟m lucky I did.”

“We‟ve all heard about pets knowing when someone is seriously ill even if that person doesn‟t, but we didn‟t expect to hear it in our own backyard,” said Karel Minor, HSBC executive director. “That Rusty‟s an adopted cat just makes the story even better.” Continued...

“Animals are currently being studied to determine if they are able to detect cancer and other conditions in humans," said Dr. Alicia Elwell.

"It‟s unclear why some animals appear to be able to predict or detect imminent changes in human health. It‟s entirely possible that Rusty was so familiar with Claire‟s body language, rhythms and behaviors that he knew something was seriously wrong before she did. Either way, it‟s certainly a blessing in this case.”

Nelson said Rusty's behavior is back to normal now that she's home. “He hasn‟t left my side, but he‟s much calmer. I think he knows I‟ll be all right," she said, but she's hoping her experience will do more than just save her life. "“I hope other people hear about Rusty and decide to help the animals at the shelter."

The Berks Humane Society operates three locations in Reading, Douglassville and Birdsboro. For more information on the Humane Society, visit http://www.berkshumane.