Cat predicts patient's deaths

[bnhall]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_fe_st/death_cat

Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

 

[Taximom]

Is he a black cat?

I've heard of dogs being able to sniff out cancer, and animal behavior predicting major weather changes.

This is all very interesting...

 

[meowy]

Oh man I've watched too many crime shows lately I guess! One of my first few thoughts (aside from, that's one smart kitty!!) was that someone laces the patient with catnip to draw everyone's attention, then harms them in some way. Gah.. I need to go out and smell some flowers and do some happy things I think.

 

[SewingDeb]

I'm not surprised that the cat sense when someone is going to die. I had a dog years ago who knew when I was in labor when I was trying to act normal and watch TV until it was really time to go to the hospital. I had not told anyone but every time I had a pain, the dog would lay his head in my lap and whine.

 

[fran]

I'm not surprised that the cat sense when someone is going to die. I had a dog years ago who knew when I was in labor when I was trying to act normal and watch TV until it was really time to go to the hospital. I had not told anyone but every time I had a pain, the dog would lay his head in my lap and whine.

That's so sweet Deb.

fran

 

[Elphaba]

Animals are empathetic... I had a friend that died of cancer, and her cat would not leave her side in her last hours. My Kyrn gets upset when she knows I am upset and weepy... she paces and tries to love on me. When I had surgery a month ago and came home in pain, my hyper black cat, Elphie, would climb on my bed and sleep right up against me. She never does that... but you could tell she was worried.
I think animals, especially personal pets, are far more in tune with our world than we can comprehend.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I think it is wonderful those people didn't have to die alone. If it takes an intuitive cat to make it happen...so be it! The people were given one last chance for love and goodbyes in life. What a great story!

 

[Peter Hamilton]

i'll bet a dog can't do that lol

 

[SadieMae]

I have seen dogs on tv that can predict when a person is going to have an epileptic seizure. Animals are very sensitive to what's going on with us.

 

[FlowerChild]

Dear Oscar is an empath - there to help the people cross over. He is by their side, reaching a part of them humans can no longer reach, comforting them and showing them the way to the light, making sure they are surrounded by love. What more loving gift can one of God's perfect creatures show to us humans? The same humans who do terrible and unspeakable things to their kind - like setting Adam Kitten on fire.

Animals do not fear death - Oscar is sharing his understanding that WE need not fear it either. In a most moving and definitive way.

My Opinion, Really

 

[JBean]

I have seen dogs on tv that can predict when a person is going to have an epileptic seizure. Animals are very sensitive to what's going on with us.

Oh yes! I have looked into getting my son one of those dogs. They either have the gift or not. If they do then they are 'trained" in differnt ways. Some for before the seizure and some for after.
Some can alert their owners so they can get some place safe.Some help by getting the meds or whatever and help them during the post ictal period, which can be worse than the seizure.

 

[hipmamajen]

That's such a sweet story!

 

[FlowerChild]

Oh yes! I have looked into getting my son one of those dogs. They either have the gift or not. If they do then they are 'trained" in differnt ways. Some for before the seizure and some for after.
Some can alert their owners so they can get some place safe.Some help by getting the meds or whatever and help them during the post ictal period, which can be worse than the seizure.

Our animal companions can do so many things for us - protect us in ways we don't even fathom, love us in times when we seem unlovable, guide us when we cannot see, hold us up when we cannot stand, hear what we cannot hear, lie beside us in our darkest hour. Some of the worst humans can be redeemed by the love of a pet, and some humans have forfeited forever their right to ever know the blessings of an animal's love again....and yet, our pet's capacity for forgiveness is so great, one would still try to love them.

Sometimes I wonder at the marvelous and mysterious bond we are allowed to have with creatures who are obviously wise in ways we cannot begin to understand or appreciate and who show us the real meaning of an unconditional love we can only pathetically aspire to in our finest moments. What do they see, I wonder, when they gaze into our eyes? Perhaps they see into our hearts, and touch our souls with theirs, theirs so pure and untainted and sure of their place in this life and the hereafter. Perhaps they are our earthly window, just a hint of what we can expect heaven's perfect love to be? I only know that they can look inside us and love fractured spirits whole again, if we only let them.

I believe some of the finest most perfect angels who walk among us have 4 legs, and fur.
Remember that an angel on four legs bearing a furry pocket full of miracles may someday come to your door ...and rely on the kindness of strangers.

 

[catsmeow]

I loooove this story! What an awesome kitty! How beautiful of him to snuggle up to these people in their last hours. It is an awesome gift.

Animals really do read a lot more than we give them credit for, even the non-trained ones. A few months after we rescued our Malamute, my husband had been having really bad blood pressure problems and they had been changing his medications on him trying to find the right combination, they made him very dizzy. One day, he decided to take a bath and turn on the jets because he had fallen the day before and his muscle hurt. Well, when he went to get up, he slipped in the tub and fell because he was so dizzy!
Three of my dogs were in the bathroom and all started barking at him (my shepherd mix was barking but was barking from the carpet in the bedroom, she's terrified of tile...)The malamute jumped in with his front paws and started licking my husbands face and he grabbed a hold of his collar and Frank eased back out while my husband kept hold on his collar. When he got out, and laid on the bathroom floor for a few minutes my dogs kept licking his face (so much for that bath!) cause they were obviously worried and my shep just kept barking from the carpet....she couldn't get over her fear of that darn tile to come to the rescue! LOL! She slipped bad once as a puppy and has had a fear of slippery places ever since!
When I have kidney stones, my cat daisy kneads my side....I'd appreciate it more if she didn't have claws!

 

[fox1950]

Our animal companions can do so many things for us - protect us in ways we don't even fathom, love us in times when we seem unlovable, guide us when we cannot see, hold us up when we cannot stand, hear what we cannot hear, lie beside us in our darkest hour. Some of the worst humans can be redeemed by the love of a pet, and some humans have forfeited forever their right to ever know the blessings of an animal's love again....and yet, our pet's capacity for forgiveness is so great, one would still try to love them.

Sometimes I wonder at the marvelous and mysterious bond we are allowed to have with creatures who are obviously wise in ways we cannot begin to understand or appreciate and who show us the real meaning of an unconditional love we can only pathetically aspire to in our finest moments. What do they see, I wonder, when they gaze into our eyes? Perhaps they see into our hearts, and touch our souls with theirs, theirs so pure and untainted and sure of their place in this life and the hereafter. Perhaps they are our earthly window, just a hint of what we can expect heaven's perfect love to be? I only know that they can look inside us and love fractured spirits whole again, if we only let them.

I believe some of the finest most perfect angels who walk among us have 4 legs, and fur.
Remember that an angel on four legs bearing a furry pocket full of miracles may someday come to your door ...and rely on the kindness of strangers.

What a beautiful post.

 

[Sassygerl]

What a neat story!!! I sure hope the residents are unaware though...could you imagine if you knew and Oscar came up and nuzzled up next to you??? It is nice they are not dying alone Animals are so comforting.

 

[pedinurse]

I wonder why the one family wanted him kicked out? denial?:waitasec:

 

[SadieMae]

Our animal companions can do so many things for us - protect us in ways we don't even fathom, love us in times when we seem unlovable, guide us when we cannot see, hold us up when we cannot stand, hear what we cannot hear, lie beside us in our darkest hour. Some of the worst humans can be redeemed by the love of a pet, and some humans have forfeited forever their right to ever know the blessings of an animal's love again....and yet, our pet's capacity for forgiveness is so great, one would still try to love them.

Sometimes I wonder at the marvelous and mysterious bond we are allowed to have with creatures who are obviously wise in ways we cannot begin to understand or appreciate and who show us the real meaning of an unconditional love we can only pathetically aspire to in our finest moments. What do they see, I wonder, when they gaze into our eyes? Perhaps they see into our hearts, and touch our souls with theirs, theirs so pure and untainted and sure of their place in this life and the hereafter. Perhaps they are our earthly window, just a hint of what we can expect heaven's perfect love to be? I only know that they can look inside us and love fractured spirits whole again, if we only let them.

I believe some of the finest most perfect angels who walk among us have 4 legs, and fur.
Remember that an angel on four legs bearing a furry pocket full of miracles may someday come to your door ...and rely on the kindness of strangers.

That almost made me cry. Thanks for the post Flowerchild. Every animal I've belonged to has been amazing. My kids always laugh because strays always end up on my front door. In the last year 3 dogs and 1 cat has been waiting for my door to open. I never chase them away. Happily, they have all been reuinted with their owners. LOL...one dog came back a month later!

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. ~ Anatole France

 

[SewingDeb]

That's so sweet Deb.

fran

I was amazed because I was being very careful not to let anyone know. I had already been to the hospital twice with false alarms and wanted to be sure that time. BTW: My dog didn't react during the false alarms...lol.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Fox News did a story on this today--The cat is really cute,quite an attractive cat but this story is really weird--The cat accurately predicted that 25 nursing home patients would die within 4 hours--Its so creepy--Reminds me of that old Twilight Zone episode, where, during a war, a soldier could see in advance which soldier would die the next day by a slight glow they had--of course, the episode ends when he sees the glow in his own reflection