Kitten dies after saving Ohio family from devastating fire

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - An Ohio family says they owe their life to their kitten who warned them of the fire that destroyed their home, WXIX reports.

Marc and Allysa Hall were in bed at their home early Saturday morning when Nina, their kitten that they got three months ago, caused a stir.

“At 5 a.m., Nina woke us up,” Allysa Hall said. “Our kitten jumped on the sheets, like all of a sudden I wake up and she’s in my face.”

Allysa Hall says she went to put Nina outside their door but noticed the smell of smoke.

Marc Hall says the flames started up about an hour after he tried to start the hot water heater.

“Black smoke... I couldn’t see,” Allysa Hall said. “And then I’m yelling for everyone to get out... All in our pajamas, no shoes, no nothing... It’s fight or flight.”

The couple and their four young children barely escaped the flames in time.

Allysa Hall says Nina was outside with them, but some time later after crews put the flames out, there was no sign of the kitten.

“She somehow made it back in the house, made it up to the kids’ room and that’s where she passed away,” Allysa Hall said. “I fight myself all the time…like ‘Allysa, why didn’t you just grab her?’ I play tug of war… you had the babies in your hand. Like, why would she go back inside.”

The family had just paid off the home and they didn’t have insurance. They are currently staying in a hotel, according to a fundraiser created for them.

“It’s really starting to set in now that everything is gone,” Marc Hall said. “It’s definitely a challenging time. We feel like, if it wasn’t for the cat, we may not have gotten out in time.”

The Halls vow to remember their short time with Nina.

“She mimicked each one of our children,” Allysa Hall said. “Like my 5-year-old, rambunctious, off the walls.”

They plan to celebrate her life and heroics by planting a tree in their backyard, where they laid her to rest. They also plan to celebrate her memory every March 4th from now on.

“We’re thanking our kitten, Nina, and then we’re thanking God,” Marc Hall said. “She’s definitely here in spirit. She’s loved.”

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