At 2:17 in the morning, the house was silent except for the soft hum of the ceiling fan and the distant sound of rain tapping against the windows.

Emily Carter, a veterinary assistant from Oregon, barely stirred when she felt a gentle pressure near her feet. Half asleep, she assumed it was Luna — the rescued gray tabby cat who had lived with her family for almost three years.

Luna often slept at the edge of the bed.

But this night was different.