A little black cat in Allendale, Michigan likely saved the lives of the Busscher family when a fire broke out in their garage. That garage is where the cat sleeps at night and the sudden appearance of flames and smoke sent it into fits of howling and screeching. The noise woke up Diane Busscher, who went to investigate.

When she opened the garage door, she was greeted with billowing smoke and one freaked out cat. She grabbed the cat and woke her family and everyone got out safely. The fire destroyed the garage and a second floor bedroom, but happily nobody was injured. Investigators say the fire began in the garage but don't believe the cat was responsible for starting it.

I love a good pet-saves-a-family story, especially when it involves a cat. Cats get a bad rap sometimes as being standoffish and aloof, but this story proves that having a cat around can be a good thing.