The bullet went in the couch and hit Opie the cat, in the top of his head, and the bullet came out of the bottom of his neck and into his shoulder then richocheted around the room, lodging into a love seat just inches from her three-year-old son Daemire.

Angelica Sipe is convinced that if the cat hadn’t taken the bullet for him, the little boy would be dead. Luckily, Opie is OK. He suffered muscle damage and got treated at an emergency vets.

His vet bills are £1000, but the grateful mother is determined to pay it and save his life. She said: “I wanted to keep him. He was my son’s little hero, so I need to keep him around.”