A GLASGOW cat who can alert his owner when she’s about to suffer a seizure is in the running for a top award.

Jack has been named as a finalist in Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards 2019.

The 17-year-old moggy beat hundreds of other entries to take his place as one of three contenders in the Hero Cat category, celebrating cats that save the day.

The black puss was selected in recognition of how he alerts Marcia McSwegan and her family when the 23-year-old is about to suffer a potentially deadly seizure.

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Marcia, a biomedical engineering student at the University of Glasgow, suffers from a disabling chronic illness called global autonomic dysfunction. It means she can suffer sudden black-outs without warning.

Despite having no training as a medical detection pet, intuitive Jack can sense the subtle changes leading up to a seizure and acts as an early warning system.

Marcia said: “The blackouts can happen at any time of day and I have no control or warning about when they’re going to happen. It can be very frightening if I’m alone, as I can fall to the ground and hurt myself

“But thankfully, we have Jack, who can sense when I’m about to have a seizure and alerts me by behaving erratically. He’ll start pacing around me, and then run to my parents and continue pacing around them until they come to me.

“It gives us all that extra peace of mind to know he’s looking out for me. After I’ve had a seizure, I can be very drained and tired, and he’ll continue to help by staying with me and cuddling up by my side. It means I’m never alone, and it’s such a comfort.”

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Marcia now has to wait until Thursday, August 8 when winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Savoy, an event attended by celebrities including entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, former England goalkeeper David Seaman and his wife, Dancing on Ice star Frankie Seaman.

If Jack wins his category, he will also be in with a chance of being crowned National Cat of the Year, following in the paw prints of previous winner Theo, who helped his owner Charlotte Dixon survive a potentially fatal blood clot.