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Sydney - A woman who was attacked by a venomous snake when she went to water her rose garden was saved by her cat who rushed in and pounced on the snake, clawing and biting it until it was dead, a media report said on Tuesday.
Denise Thynne, aged 66, from Mackay in northern Queensland, told the broadcaster ABC she had picked up the hose but got a nasty shock when lying underneath was a red-bellied black snake, the 10th most poisonous snake in Australia.
"I walked out to the yard to pick up the hose to water the roses. There was a little snake laying under the hose that I didn't see," she said.
"It was laying there in the sun. I didn't take any notice until I felt the sting."
Her brave cat Skitzo came to the rescue.
"She came out stalking and it looked like she was mesmerising it and then she just went in for the kill.
"I turned the snake over and saw the red belly and thought `Oh, that's not a very friendly one'."
Having been bitten by snakes three times before, she knew what to do and bound the wound on her swelling hand, stayed still and called an ambulance. Fortunately, the snake did not inject any venom when it bit.
"Just be careful and wear your glasses when you go outside - that helps," she said when asked for advice about dealing with snakes.
And so does a brave cat like Skitzo.
