By Andrea Gillhooley
The Lebanon Daily News
LEBANON, Pa. — Max is described as a talkative, laid-back “gentle giant” by his owners.
So when the 6-year-old cat urgently tried to rouse city residents Timothy and Patricia Shuhayda from bed early Thursday morning, the couple was concerned.
“My wife was coughing in bed, and I asked ‘Are you OK?’ She said not to worry, and that she’d be fine. Well, Max leaped on our bed, bit me on the neck and ran out in the hallway, ... so I ran after him,” Timothy recounted. “He was right at the (spare bedroom) door and was matting at the door with his paws. He kept meowing for me to go in there. So I reached for the doorknob, and the wall was on fire.”
The fire started at 4:16 a.m. at a space heater that was plugged into a power strip, said city fire Commissioner Duane Trautman. The plug was crimped by a piece of furniture. The fire was confined to the outlet, wall and power strip.
The home at 1220 Lafayette St. is owned by veteran Larry Brinton, whom Patricia, a nurse, and Timothy care for full-time. Timothy Shuhayda said he got the minor fire under control until firefighters arrived. No one was hurt.
“Max saved our lives,” Patricia said. “He was a very good cat for doing that. It was amazing.”
The couple adopted Max from the Humane Society of Lebanon County more than two years ago, and he joined two other cats. The couple says Max always vies for their attention and is very intuitive to their daily routines.
“He’ll jump on you and pat you if you don’t get up,” Patricia said. “He’ll start meowing and bop you in the head, too.
“Who would have ever guessed a stray cat would go to such measures to save your life? He’s like an angel.”
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