Apparently, canines aren't the only watchdogs.

Thanks to one vigilant kitty in southern France, 11 people are alive after a fire started in a farmhouse overnight Sunday, The cat saved its owner and the 10 other residents of the multi-family home by scratching on the floor of the attic, where the flames first ignited, local media report.

Alexandra Marlin, who lives beneath the attic in the converted home, awoke to Meatball's scratches and pulled open the trap door to the upstairs room to investigate. That's when she discovered thick smoke and rushed to call the local fire department and wake up the seven adults and three children living at the residence, Le Dauphiné Libéré reports.

(Story continues below)



In the chaos, Marlin become separated from Meatball. The French woman feared the worst, but, fortunately, the heroic kitty reappeared Sunday evening. The other residents of the converted home were incredibly grateful for Meatball's act and offered to buy her a year's worth of cat biscuits, a separate Le Dauphiné Libéré report notes.