'Guard Cat' Credited With Preventing Armed Robbery

August 3, 2022

When Fred Everitt, 68, adopted a cat from his local Humane Society four years ago, he thought he was saving her life.

But last week, she may have saved his.

Bandit | Credit: Thomas Wells/Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Bandit lives with Everitt in Tupelo, MS.

When a couple of would-be robbers attempted to break into their home, the cat did everything she could to alert her owner of the danger.

"You hear of guard dogs. This is a guard cat," Everitt told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

The attempted robbery occurred sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on July 25, Everitt said. He was first awoken by Bandit's meows in the kitchen. Then, she raced into the bedroom, jumped onto the bed and began pulling the comforter off of him and clawing at his arms. Everitt knew something was wrong.

"She had never done that before," Everitt said. "I went, 'What in the world is wrong with you?'"

Everitt got up to investigate, turned on the lights and saw two young men outside his back door. One had a gun, and the other was using a crowbar to try and pry the door open, he said.

Everitt said by the time he retrieved his handgun and returned to the kitchen, the would-be intruders had already fled.

He said the situation could have been different without Bandit.

"It did not turn into a confrontational situation, thank goodness," Everitt said. "But I think it's only because of the cat."