JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — A woman is crediting her cat with saving her life.

Theresa Bernola’s house on Meneely Road in Jefferson Township was on fire early Tuesday morning.

“This is a first and I’ve been doing this for 42 years,” Jefferson Township Fire Chief Brady Mermon said.

Bernola was asleep on the couch, but not for long thanks to her cat.

“She told us she was awakened by her cat – it kept jumping on her,” Mermon said. “She was sleeping on the living room couch and she said she’d never yell at that cat again.”

Firefighters believe the fire started because of faulty electrical wiring. The home suffered thousands of dollars worth of damage.