That Cat Could be the Death of Me!

[carl1951]

Has anyone heard of a cat named Oscar who resides in a nursing home, I believe, located in Connecticut.

Oscar predicts the deaths of patients (residents) in the home.

When Oscar curls beside a patient, the patient dies within 24 hours.

It's reported the family of the patient is called to let them know the end is near.

I believe it to be true. I believe animals are more "in tune."

What do you think?

Later, Carl

[Dreamfire]

Are you sure he doesn't visit the arsenic dust pile for aroll around first? Perhaps Oscar is the bringer of death rather than the announcer.

N

Sorry to make fun Carl, I just couldn't help it.

Actually I think that pets have a function to help us drain away congested energey and perhaps he is helping them do that before they pass away?

carl1951 said:

Has anyone heard of a cat named Oscar who resides in a nursing home, I believe, located in Connecticut.

Oscar predicts the deaths of patients (residents) in the home.

When Oscar curls beside a patient, the patient dies within 24 hours.

It's reported the family of the patient is called to let them know the end is near.

I believe it to be true. I believe animals are more "in tune."

What do you think?

Later, Carl

[carl1951]

Ashatan: A purrfect reply.

Love to you.

Later, Carl

[rducasey]

Yes, Carl, the cat is actually in Rhode Island. This is part of an article in today's Providence Journal:

The stocky long-haired cat lives among patients with severe dementia, in an end-state ward in which death is a common event. The facility treats people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

“There are weeks that three or four people will die in that unit, and Oscar will nail every one of them,” says Dosa. “I know it’s seemingly far-fetched,” but he has repeatedly witnessed Oscar’s odd gift. “It’s a very surreal thing.”

Usually about two to four hours before a patient dies, Oscar goes to them.

He hops onto the bed, curls up, and stays with them.

The cat’s “mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing-home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families,” wrote Dosa, in his article for the Journal of Medicine.

Another doctor who treats people at Steere House, Dr. Joan M. Teno, professor of community health at Brown and an expert in end-of-life care, confirms that Oscar “always manages to make an appearance, and it always seems to be around the last two hours.

“Dying is a process that occurs over days,” she says. “It’s not like the cat parks himself there several days in advance. He only goes for those last hours. If it’s not the last hours, he’s not there.”

After the patient dies, Oscar “just gets up and leaves the room,” says Steve Farrow, executive director of Steere House.

So how does Oscar know? How does he know when people are about to die?

“I don’t think this is a psychic cat,” says Teno. “There’s been proven scientific articles that dogs in England are able to sniff out cancer cells and I think a similar type of explanation is possible here. Oscar is smelling some type of chemical or toxin from the body that helps him recognize that the person’s dying. He may like the scent. Part of me says it’s a little bit freaky. Sometimes when I’m making rounds Oscar will come and sit with me in the window, and I keep on saying, ‘Does he know something I don’t?’ ”

[Deleted]

It's Rhode Island, not Connecticut

[bjobsessed]

There is a couple in my church whose cat saved their lives while they were in Florida several years ago. They were unaware that their condo was full of carbon monoxide poisoning. They were not feeling well and the gentleman was already having a hard time waking up. Their cat meowed an awful meow and wouldn't quit until they both got up and went outside. They later found out about the carbon monoxide and the fact that the cat had saved them. When they came back home, the local paper did a feature article on them and the cat.

I had strep throat really bad a few years ago and did nothing but sleep for almost two weeks. Sydney never left me except to eat and go to the bathroom. It was like he was keeping watch.

Then of course you have the stories about dogs who can predict when someone is going to have a seizure.

Animals are smart and some have a gift. I don't understand how they know these things but I think it's amazing and comforting too.