KUANTAN: "I am grateful that our female cat 'Hana' woke my wife, as if alerting her that the house was on fire," said Ruhaifi Isyraf Saad, 45.
In a fire which occurred at around 4am yesterday, several electrical appliances and furniture were destroyed in the bedroom of Ruhaifi Isyraf and Siti Aishah Zainul, 41, at Bukit Rangin Perdana Satu housing estate in Kuantan, resulting in losses exceeding RM5,000.
Ruhaifi Isyraf said that he had 65 cats placed in various rooms of his house, with 'Hana' being the only one in their bedroom every night because she had no interest in staying with the other cats.
During the fire, 'Hana' alerted his wife, seemingly indicating that the fire had broken out. At that time, the electricity supply was cut off after a short circuit believed to have originated from the television.
"My wife and I quickly woke up when we smelled smoke from the room. We tried to extinguish the fire by dousing it with water. My wife used a wet cloth to smother the fire on the smoking television.
"Our swift action allowed us to put out the fire within a few minutes, and my wife and I remained calm throughout the incident," he said yesterday.
For Siti Aishah, during the fire, she only thought of the 65 cats. While extinguishing the fire, she prayed to Allah to help save the lives of their pets.
She said she couldn't imagine what would have happened if the fire couldn't be controlled.
"My husband and I have been living with the cats for nine years. Previously, we had 80 stray cats that we cared for with love.
"We spend over RM3,000 per month on providing food. This expense does not include the cost of treatment if a cat falls sick and requires medical attention," said the high school teacher in Kuantan.
She added that their life as a couple is always cheerful and joyful with their 65 cats, even though they had not been blessed with children. The cats brighten their household, and they share a deep affection for these affectionate animals.
Siti Aishah mentioned that without assistance from anyone, she and her husband sacrificed to provide all facilities for their pets. All the cats are like their children, bringing joy to their household.
"The major flood incident in 2021 is hard to forget when my husband and I took seven hours to save over 80 cats with the help of the Pahang Veterinary Services Department.
"Now, my husband and I have to stay with relatives because the electrical supply in our house has not been repaired yet. Only the cats remain at home," she said.