The project he whipped up, Good Times, feeds readings from the cat-eared electrode to an Arduino, which then interacts with the Call Management and M2M APIs.

ENGADGET

It includes footage of the area after the storm, when the water receded and he finally had the opportunity to call Dookie and tell her that he -- and the cat -- survived Katrina.

CNN: Man hopes to repair ravaged home with tape

Time-wasting calls this year include a woman who reported a cat had crept into her house and a call from a commuter who had missed his last train home.

BBC: Hoax calls risk lives