Felix, the courageous cat owned by Scottish design duo Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, is the first feline to win a new national fire safety award for his purr-fect timing in raising the alarm when fire broke out in their Glasgow home.

The plucky puss tipped off its owners after sunlight bounced off a goldfish bowl which acted as a giant magnifying glass, setting fire to a table in their lounge. Colin and Justin, stars of Channel Five’s How Not to Decorate and the BBC’s Million Pound Property Experiment were only alerted to the fire by Felix’s constant miaowing.

Colin and Justin said: “Felix is a true feline hero and we are immensely proud of him. The Don’t Give Fire A Home Award is a happy ending to a potentially tragic tale.

“If there’s a lesson here it’s that you should look around your home very carefully for any likely causes of fire, no matter how unusual. As interior designers, we understand how devastating it would be to lose your home and valuable possessions. We won’t be nearly as complacent about the risk of fire from now on. “ Felix is the first animal to receive the Don’t Give Fire a Home National Fire Safety Award, launched by the Scottish Executive to recognise heroic efforts in the face of fire.

He was presented with his award and a specially branded cat food bowl by representatives from Strathclyde Fire Brigade at the designers’ West End home. Stephen McKee of Strathclyde Fire Brigade said “Felix is a very worthy recipient of our Don’t Give Fire A Home Award. When we conceived the award, we had human acts of bravery in mind. But as soon as we heard this story, we knew that the cat should be honoured.

“We strongly urge people to look more closely at the risk of fire in their homes. Fires can be caused by everything from sunlight reflections to seemingly innocent household items such as night candles, mobile phone chargers and tumble driers.”

Felix accepted his award just as the Don’t Give Fire A Home campaign launched its new website and home risk assessment booklet, Your Guide to Fire Safety, which helps identify potential fire hazards in the home.

The guide will be distributed by all eight Scottish fire services.