Joey the Hero Cat: The Cat Who Woke His Family During a Fire

Introduction

When people hear stories about pets warning families about danger, dogs are often the animals that come to mind. But in 2020, a small black cat named Joey became the unlikely hero of a Canadian household.

Joey had been adopted from a rescue organization and lived with Scott White, his fiancée Ashika Iqbal, and their young dog, Weston. One night, the couple went to bed after preparing food in a slow cooker. Several hours later, Joey began behaving in a way his owners had not seen before.

He paced around the bed, stood on his owners and pawed at their faces while purring loudly. When they woke up, they discovered that something was seriously wrong in the kitchen.

An illustrative depiction representing Joey, the rescue cat whose unusual behavior woke his family as a slow cooker burned in their home in 2020. Illustration: The Pader.

Joey Woke His Owners in the Middle of the Night

The incident happened in April 2020 at the home of Scott White and Ashika Iqbal in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

According to contemporary reports, White woke at about 4:30 in the morning after Joey began acting unusually. The cat was pacing, purring and standing on his owner rather than sleeping normally.

Another report described Joey pawing at White's face. The unusual behavior prompted White to investigate, and he soon noticed the smell of smoke coming from the kitchen.

The couple then discovered that the slow cooker they had left cooking overnight was burning and that smoke had begun filling the kitchen.

It Was a Slow Cooker — Not a Pot on the Stove

Some retellings of the Joey story describe a pot or pan being left on a stove. The contemporary reports reviewed by The Pader describe something different: the family had prepared food in a slow cooker.

White was able to turn off the appliance and deal with the fire before the incident caused major damage to the home. Alabama Public Radio reported that the couple was able to douse the fire after discovering the smoky haze. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

The Dog Slept Through the Incident

There was another member of the household that night: Weston, the couple's 10-month-old puppy.

The family had hoped Weston would become a good watchdog because he barked whenever someone approached the door. But during the slow-cooker incident, the young dog reportedly slept through the entire episode.

That contrast became one of the memorable details of the story. Joey, the cat, was the pet that woke the household, while the family's young dog remained asleep.

WRTV reported that the family had considered Weston a potential guard dog because of his behavior around people approaching the house. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Did Joey Know He Was Saving His Family?

This is where the viral version of the story needs some caution.

The reports clearly document Joey's unusual behavior and the sequence of events that followed: he woke his owners, they investigated, and they discovered the burning slow cooker.

But the incident does not establish exactly what Joey understood.

It is reasonable to say that Joey's behavior alerted his owners to something unusual. It is not possible from the available reports to prove that he consciously understood there was a fire, deliberately planned a rescue or knew that waking his owners would prevent a house fire.

That distinction matters because animal behavior can have a remarkable outcome without allowing us to know an animal's exact thoughts or intentions.

Why the Story Became Known as the “Hero Cat”

Joey's story quickly attracted attention because the sequence was so unusual. His owners had adopted him from a rescue organization, and several years later he appeared to alert them to a potentially dangerous situation in their own home.

WRTV reported that Joey had been adopted from a rescue group in Toronto after previously being in a Quebec shelter. After the incident, the family gave him plenty of extra attention and treats.

Alabama Public Radio similarly described Joey as the family's hero after the incident and noted that the cat received extra treats afterward. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

What the Joey Story Teaches Us About Pet Safety

The story is entertaining, but it also highlights something more practical: pets should not be relied upon as a substitute for household fire-safety equipment.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises people to keep working smoke alarms in their homes and emphasizes the danger of unattended cooking. Its current guidance recommends working smoke alarms on every level of a home, outside sleeping areas and inside bedrooms. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Slow cookers are designed to operate for extended periods, but safety guidance still recommends following the manufacturer's instructions, checking cords for damage, keeping combustible materials away from the appliance and placing the cooker somewhere stable where it cannot easily be knocked over. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

The Real Hero Moment Was the Warning

Joey did not need to perform a dramatic rescue to make a difference that night. His unusual behavior was enough to wake his owners and prompt them to investigate.

The available reports do not tell us precisely why Joey reacted the way he did. But the timing was important: the family woke, noticed the smoke and discovered the burning slow cooker before the situation caused major damage.

That makes Joey's story a memorable example of how an ordinary household pet can sometimes respond to something unusual in its environment in a way that gets its owners' attention.

Conclusion

Joey the cat's story is real, but the most accurate version is slightly different from some viral retellings. He did not wake his owners because a pot on the stove was about to explode, nor can we prove that he consciously understood he was saving them.

What is documented is remarkable enough: a rescue cat behaved unusually in the early hours of an April 2020 morning, his owners woke up and investigated, and they discovered a burning slow cooker filling the kitchen with smoke. Their young dog slept through it all.

Whether Joey understood the danger or simply reacted to something unusual remains unknown. What happened next, however, is documented: his warning helped his family discover the problem before major damage occurred.

More From The Pader

Amazing Animal Stories: Remarkable Animals and the Stories Behind Them

The story of Dusty, the klepto cat who became famous for bringing home stolen items

The remarkable story of Tama, the famous stationmaster cat in Japan

Sources and Further Reading