There is no question that pets have become man (and woman’s) best friend, and it looks like it’s for good reason.

More and more pets have been literally saving the lives of their owners by detecting serious medical conditions even before doctors.

Don’t believe it? Just ask Wendy Humphreys, a mother of two from Britain, who found out first-hand when her cat Fidge sniffed out a potentially fatal health condition that even doctors hadn’t detected.

Humphreys was compelled to visit a physician after the 10-month-old cat began jumping on her breast and continued to do so for weeks on end.

What doctors found astounded Humphreys, she had a malignant tumor in her breast about the size of a pea that could have metastasized if it hadn’t been discovered early. She is now scheduled to undergo chemotherapy and credits Fidge with saving her life.

Cats aren’t the only ones with the ability to save lives, studies have shown that dogs, too, can pick up on illnesses and physical ailments by detecting acute changes in people’s smell.

In a 2011 study, researchers in Japan conducted trials to see how well a dog could identify people with colorectal cancer. The dog had a 98 percent accuracy rate, NPR reported.

An animal’s aptitude for detecting changes in humans defies scientific explanation with scientists unable to provide any explanation as to why these ordinary animals possess such an extraordinary gift. Whatever the explanation, it seems owning a pet can do more than provide you with a little company … it can literally save your life.