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26 Jul 07 - 12:08 PM (#2111856) Subject: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Mickey191 On the CNN News this AM: A Nursing Home cat seems to be able to tell when a patient is near death. He generally makes the rounds and leaves the various patients quickly. The exception is when he stays with the person for 3 or 4 hours in a comforting mode - then death ensues The staff has seen this happen 25 times. It gives them time to call the patient's immediate family to come for a last visit. Once he was removed from the bed and stayed outside the room pacing and howling. The person passed away. Your thoughts? |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:11 PM (#2111860) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Rapparee Banshee, dementor...in disguise. Nurses and care givers could probably do the same thing IF they were empathetic enough. |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:17 PM (#2111865) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: JennyO I can believe this quite easily. My cat Onyx always comes and wants to climb into my lap and put her head under my hand when I am feeling unhappy. A few years ago when I broke my ankle, she was especially attentive. She does the same thing with John when he is not happy too. He is not a cat person, but she has won him over because she is so obviously affectionate at those times. It's like she instinctively knows that stroking a cat is a calming soothing activity. |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:19 PM (#2111867) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: beardedbruce Should I be worried that my cat is being affectionate recently? |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:20 PM (#2111869) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Ebbie lol, bb |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:23 PM (#2111871) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: JennyO Those sort of thoughts actually occurred to me, Bruce. I shouldn't worry though, because I think it is just a general sign that they are empathetic to human feelings and distress. On the other hand, have you changed your aftershave to "Eau de Poisson" lately? |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:30 PM (#2111876) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: skipy I must be close to death twice everyday! As soon as I open a certain cupboard in utility & take a can out. Skipy |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:32 PM (#2111877) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: DebC Here is the article from today's Boston Globe Deb |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:37 PM (#2111882) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Rasener The cat probably sees the staff injecting the poison into the patients arm!. Maybe the cat should have CCTV linked to it, so it can record whats going on. |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:38 PM (#2111885) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: pdq Perhaps the cat is owned by Jack Kevorkian? |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:40 PM (#2111886) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Mrrzy Why not - there are physiological signs that (as posted above) anybody sensitive to them should be able to find. The nurses when my X was dying knew almost to the minute when he would... |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:47 PM (#2111896) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Scooby Doo "SPOOKY" |
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26 Jul 07 - 12:47 PM (#2111897) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: JennyO I must be close to death twice everyday! As soon as I open a certain cupboard in utility & take a can out. Well cupboard love is another matter. In that case they aren't climbing in my lap - more getting under my feet and miaowing loudly. I think they are trying to tell me that if I don't feed them soon, my life won't be worth living ;-) |
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26 Jul 07 - 01:23 PM (#2111923) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing I thought this was a beautiful story. Animals can be so much more sensitive to such things than humans. They are open, receptive and take the time to notice such signs. What a lovely way to let go with a moggie by one's side. And, how wonderful this cat has taken it upon him/herself to do so. |
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26 Jul 07 - 01:29 PM (#2111930) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Becca72 Aw hell, I woke up with THREE of em on me this morning!! :-) I actually found this story pretty heartwarming ( I read it on Yahoo earlier). This cat is otherwise not the snuggly type, except when he senses someone is near death. I completely agree with Kat's post above. That's the way I'd want to spend my last couple hours. |
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26 Jul 07 - 01:56 PM (#2111957) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: GUEST,Jim Dixon Somewhere I read about a doctor who is trying to train a dog to diagnose skin cancer by smell. It sounds plausible. If dogs can find heroin or cocaine, maybe they can find skin cancer the same way. Maybe dying people give off a scent that cats can detect but people can't. Why a cat would be attracted to that smell is another question. Maybe the cat just wants to sleep where he won't be kicked out of bed. |
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26 Jul 07 - 01:59 PM (#2111962) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Greg B If I'm feeling unwell, Boots generally comes and settles his front half on my chest for a little while, so our hearts are close together, and purrs. And you know, it makes me feel better, sometimes all better! |
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26 Jul 07 - 02:03 PM (#2111967) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Little Hawk Nothing surprising about this story to me. Yes, animals can sense when someone is near death. |
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26 Jul 07 - 02:08 PM (#2111973) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing Yes, dogs can smell cancer according to these studies. |
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26 Jul 07 - 03:24 PM (#2112004) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: GUEST,jOhn Maybe its an evil cat, and its killing the people? |
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26 Jul 07 - 03:31 PM (#2112007) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Mickey191 Guest jOhn, If the cat is a killer cat-I've got a few in D.C. who'd I love to send him to. One of them lives ....... I'd Better not say - or I'll be hearing a meow at my door tonight. Kat, I've seen, on tv, the dogs who sniff out cancer. They could not be fooled! Got it right every in trial shown. |
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26 Jul 07 - 03:46 PM (#2112022) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Bev and Jerry Is this what the doctor means when he says you need a cat scan? Bev and Jerry |
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26 Jul 07 - 06:05 PM (#2112131) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Greg B Hissssssssssssssssssss...... |
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26 Jul 07 - 06:20 PM (#2112145) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Liz the Squeak The cat scan is fine, it's the lab tests you have to watch out for... those guys are thorough! Sweet story and totally plausible. I've had experience with animals knowing when I was hurt, upset or needed some extra loving care with the option of teeth and claw. I was beaten up by a former partner and fled to safety to my friends in the pub across the road. They owned a boxer dog who was devoted to their son. I took refuge in his room, with his mother and the dog. When the son bounced into the room, the dog stood in front of me, teeth bared, growling at his beloved master, who stopped dead in his tracks - he'd never EVER had his dog growl at him. Once I'd reassured the dog, he let his master in the room properly again. Animals know... LTS |
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26 Jul 07 - 07:02 PM (#2112171) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Sorcha As Liz said, animals know. They just know lots more than most humans give them credit for. |
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26 Jul 07 - 07:23 PM (#2112186) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Mrrzy Oh yeah. And there are dogs who can warn an epileptic in time to pee and lie down, to avoid doing the reverse uncomfortably suddenly. |
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26 Jul 07 - 07:35 PM (#2112195) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: John O'L A cat will always contibute to the psychic kitty. |
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26 Jul 07 - 07:50 PM (#2112202) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Alba I think it is so wonderful that Oscar brings his gift of comfort to the Dementia Patients in their hours of need. Personally, I don't need any scientific explaination why this Kitty knows and then comforts the dying. I do know there is far more to our fellow creatures than we will ever know. I am just glad that this moggy does what he does. Best to all as always, Jude |
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26 Jul 07 - 08:16 PM (#2112225) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Sorcha Pretty much where I'm at, Alba. |
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26 Jul 07 - 08:36 PM (#2112238) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing Mickey, yes, I've seen those dogs on tv, too. It is amazing and wonderful. I am reminded of a story in my books, "Psychic Pets." I think it was in Poland, during WWII, a small town had a pet goose. That goose would start squawking and in a strange way a couple of hours or so before bombers would strafe the town. It did it so consistently they learned to pay heed. Sadly, one time, after they'd all taken shelter, the goose didn't make it and died in the raid, but not before it had saved a lot of lives. |
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26 Jul 07 - 09:55 PM (#2112279) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Rapparee I don't know about psychic and I don't pretend to know. But I suspect that if people took the time to learn the signs of dying we, too, could be like that cat. Perhaps we used to be. Perhaps at one point, possibly a very recent point, people knew. But we've lost it, like we've lost so many things, and now it amazes us when "dumb" animals demonstrate what we've lost. |
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26 Jul 07 - 10:46 PM (#2112289) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Sorcha Yes, Rap...I think that due to 'civilization' and other things, we've lost a lot of our sensory perceptions. I include emotional perceptions in that. Not only the 5 senses, but things like the ability to read body language, 'sense' the Unknown, etc. |
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27 Jul 07 - 07:26 AM (#2112485) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Liz the Squeak Silly moment.... Wonder what goes through the mind of the other residents when the kitty decides to pay them a visit.... LTS |
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27 Jul 07 - 08:23 AM (#2112521) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: GUEST,Sapper, at Eden Valley Loop Was on BBC R4 last night. From what I can gather, Oscar, the cat's name, gives comfort to the dying patient and alerts the medical staff to warn next of kin. |
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27 Jul 07 - 08:29 AM (#2112525) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: GUEST,Sapper, en route to Shap Summit Had meant to include a link on that!! Click Here |
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27 Jul 07 - 08:55 AM (#2112537) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: John Hardly A psychic cat isn't nearly so unbelievable as the reality... ...a whole nursing home full of people dying from cat allergies. |
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27 Jul 07 - 09:12 AM (#2112551) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Foresees Death? From: SharonA Good point, John!!! Would some kind Mudelf please correct the spelling of the word "foresees" in the thread title? The proofreader in me cringes at that typo every time I skim down the thread list. Thank you! |
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27 Jul 07 - 10:26 AM (#2112627) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: john f weldon The cat just likes the scent of a good Brompton Cocktail. (Hint... ...if someone offers you one, just say no) |
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27 Jul 07 - 10:29 AM (#2112629) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: mack/misophist The article in msnbc pointed out something the other versions seem to have missed. This is not a people cat! Oscar doesn't like laps, being picked up, and doesn't cuddle. Rather than offer 'comfort' to the dieing, he just curls up next to them. I love cats but they're more interesting and more informative when you treat them as cats rather than little Mother Teresa's. |
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27 Jul 07 - 12:40 PM (#2112723) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: john f weldon ...or... http://www.messybeast.com/cat-eat-man.htm |
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27 Jul 07 - 12:56 PM (#2112737) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Scooby Doo If i have been ill and in hospital my cat won't leave my side.But if i have been camping that's a different matter she is pleased to see me then goes outside. So i believe they know more than we do. Scooby. |
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27 Jul 07 - 01:16 PM (#2112757) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Cats I have been poorly these last few days and neither of mine will leave my side. |
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27 Jul 07 - 01:42 PM (#2112773) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Bill D It's hard to guess exactly what happens and what is 'known' by animals who do these things...........I suppose we should just be glad that it isn't Armadillos or elephants who have the 'gift'.. |
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27 Jul 07 - 05:32 PM (#2112906) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Sorcha How do you know they don't Bill? I'll bet elephants do. |
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27 Jul 07 - 06:56 PM (#2112982) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Liz the Squeak Of course elephants have the gift.. they just can't get throug the cat flap. LTS |
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27 Jul 07 - 07:02 PM (#2112986) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: john f weldon My old cat Foss used to forsee many deaths, mainly those of mice... ...she was 99.4% accurate... |
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27 Jul 07 - 07:17 PM (#2112994) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Jim Dixon From the article that kat linked to above: "Cancer cells emit different metabolic waste products than normal cells," Broffman said. "The differences between these metabolic products are so great that they can be detected by a dog's keen sense of smell, even in the early stages of disease." If dogs can smell it, maybe cats can, too. And if cancer emits special chemicals, the failure of various organs probably does, too. My vet taught me that when an animal is experiencing kidney failure, its breath smells like urine. There's no need to assume the cat in question has any psychic ability. Probably just a good sense of smell. |
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27 Jul 07 - 10:33 PM (#2113088) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Sorcha Well, whatever it is the cat senses, smells, hears, Oscar is doing something that most humans can't. I'd bet lots of other animals can do it too, whatever 'it' is. Smell seems as good a clue as any other. |
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27 Jul 07 - 11:00 PM (#2113092) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: JennyO Even if it does turn out to be just a good sense of smell, that doesn't explain why Oscar would choose to snuggle up next to someone who is emitting that smell. I believe elephants do have a similar gift, but I don't think I'll get one - my vege gardens might get trampled on, and the food bills would be prohibitive ;-) |
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28 Jul 07 - 05:28 AM (#2113169) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: GUEST,IBO What an absolute load of bollocks |
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28 Jul 07 - 10:44 PM (#2113744) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Mrrzy Right - none of this is supernatural. It's all perception. The emissions are there, we just aren't at the right wavelengths to pick them up. That's one of the reasons we domesticated dogs in the first place - early warning of intruders. Why not early warning of anything else? |
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28 Jul 07 - 11:56 PM (#2113771) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing Do we have to over-analyse everything to death? No pun intended. The cat is performing a service, perhaps through smell, perhaps through a myriad of other perceptions unknown to us. Regardless, it is a wonderful thing, imo. |
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29 Jul 07 - 02:13 AM (#2113804) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA "Do we have to over-analyse everything to death?: YES !!!!! LOL! Sorry, but some of us like to open up the back of the clock to see what makes it tick. That doesn't mean we don't appreciate life's mysteries; it's just that the lack of understanding of those mysteries gives us more consternation than delight. As for the Oscar mystery, I think there may be other (or, at least, more) factors at work here than the emission of odors by the dying body. For instance, many of us cat lovers have observed the phenomenon that a cat will, when entering a room full of guests, seem to be most attracted to the person who likes cats least. Why? Not because the cat wishes to annoy the cat "hater", but because he/she is least likely to annoy the cat (by picking it up, petting it in a way it doesn't care for, or otherwise disturbing its routine) -- the cat "hater's" space is the calmest spot in an agitating environment. By the same token, when Oscar makes the rounds of his nursing-home environment, I believe that he would spend the most time curled up on the bed of the patient who was least likely to disturb his rest: the patient who was moving around the least because he/she was near death. On the other hand, perhaps the cat curls up on the beds of several different patients indiscriminately; perhaps the nursing home staff's perception that he spends more time with near-death patients is simply a bit of Monday-morning quarterbacking??? They've been right 25 times, but I wonder how many times they've called up relatives of a patient Oscar has curled up with, to alert them to an impending demise, only to have the patient live for several more weeks or months... or years? |
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29 Jul 07 - 02:33 AM (#2113806) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA Also, let's not forget that the cat's home isn't the entire nursing facility. According to this article, "Oscar's sole domain is the locked dementia ward" of the center, "home to 41 patients in the final stages of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, a stroke, and other mentally debilitating diseases." That's final stages, folks, so the probability that any bed Oscar curls up on might be someone's deathbed is pretty high to begin with. |
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29 Jul 07 - 04:27 AM (#2113828) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: JennyO Yes Sharon, but the article said that Oscar doesn't seem to be a naturally affectionate cat with the patients, ignoring them most of the time - until they are about to die. It sounds like he doesn't curl up on beds as a matter of course - only on the beds of dying patients. I've noticed cats often head for the non-cat-people too, but I doubt whether it is because they are "the calmest spot in an agitating environment". Nothing very calm about getting turfed off the lap of a non-cat-person. That's what is likely to happen to Onyx if she tries to climb on John's lap. Doesn't stop her from trying though. As many of us have said here, our animals often seem a lot more affectionate when we are sick or distressed in some way. I know when I am sick or distressed, my state of mind is anything but calm. I think cats, like many animals, have a more highly developed sensitivity to all kinds of subtle cues - something that we humans probably used to have but have mostly lost - some more than others. In that way, I consider it to be a gift. Animals are well known for sensing changes in their environment, such as the weather, because it has always been necessary to their survival. You could even argue that empathy is necessary to the survival of the species. Oscar may well regard the people in his world as his own species because it is his whole world. |
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29 Jul 07 - 05:21 AM (#2113839) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA "Yes Sharon, but the article said that Oscar doesn't seem to be a naturally affectionate cat with the patients, ignoring them most of the time - until they are about to die. It sounds like he doesn't curl up on beds as a matter of course - only on the beds of dying patients." Well, yeah, that was my theory: that the cat isn't necessarily being affectionate by curling up on the dying patient's bed, just finding a warm bed to sleep on where he's not going to be disturbed by people trying to be affectionate with him, grabbing him, petting him roughly, etc. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "I've noticed cats often head for the non-cat-people too, but I doubt whether it is because they are 'the calmest spot in an agitating environment'. " That one isn't my theory; I've read that in several books and magazine articles about cats. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "...our animals often seem a lot more affectionate when we are sick or distressed in some way." Often, perhaps, but not always -- I've had a bad cold these last couple of weeks, and every time I cough when my cat is in the room, she runs out of the room! LOL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "I think cats, like many animals, have a more highly developed sensitivity to all kinds of subtle cues..." Undoubtedly they do. I'm just not ready to assume that that's what is happening with Oscar. The fact that he lives in the "final stages" ward makes the phenomenon look a lot like happenstance to me. Sorry to be so cynical, but what smells to me is this story -- I'm catching a whiff of a news staff so desperate to find a local human interest story and a nursing-home staff so desperate to get their 15 minutes of fame that they've all blown one cat's sleeping habits WAYYYYYYY out of proportion! |
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29 Jul 07 - 07:46 AM (#2113874) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Foresees Death? From: SharonA Here is the full text of the article in the New England Journal of Medicine that started all this hub-bub. I had expected to find an analytical treatment of the subject, and was astounded to see that it's written as a narrative -- even more of a human-interest treatment than the news articles give it! I didn't know that the NEJM published anything except descriptions of medical studies and patient histories. In the NEJM article, the author (Dr. David M. Dosa) says dramatically, "No one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile." Yet in the BBC article to which GUEST Sapper linked (above), Dosa says, "He doesn't make many mistakes" [my emphasis]... so Dosa admits that Oscar has made a few errors. I wish there were an article with a more quantitative description of when, and under what circumstances, Oscar is right or wrong. In the NEJM, Dosa says Oscar entered one room (where the patient's daughter was keeping a vigil), jumped onto the bed, jumped off again and left. Then he entered a room where the patient was alone -- this is where he curled up and stayed until the patient died. Was he simply choosing a room without a visitor in it? When the patient's family arrived for the death watch, did Oscar stay there out of sheer stubbornness and refusal to be moved once he'd chosen his spot? Did he leave after the death because he knew the nurses' routine of removing the body and the bedclothes was about to ensue? Having observed cats' habits all my life, it wouldn't surprise me if all of that were the case. Cats are highly motivated to seek their own comfort. It has not been my experience that they set out upon any course of action to comfort humans (although they're quick to learn that, if they want attention, a sad human is likely to give plenty of it to them). There are a couple of things that disturb me about the descriptions of this nursing facility. In the NEJM article, Dosa describes a resident: "Moderately disheveled after eating her lunch, half of which she now wears on her shirt, Mrs. P. is taking one of her many aimless strolls to nowhere." I realize that it may be challenging for the staff to get their patient to wear an adult bib at meals or change stained clothing or sit still long enough for a midday hair-combing, but still Dosa doesn't give the best impression of the conditions there! Also disturbing to me is the description of Oscar's behavior when he is removed from the bed and room of a dying patient at the request of the patient's family: according to the article I linked above, a doctor there says, "He kind of rubs aggressively against the door, paces back and forth, yowls in protest." Why would the staff allow the cat to linger there, wailing and disturbing the patient's loved ones (not to mention the patients in adjoining rooms)? To me, it's unconscionable that they would let the cat do that rather than shut it in a room where its vocalizing would not be intrusive. But the most disturbing thing to me is that the staff would wait for a signal from a cat before calling a dying patient's family to come in for their final visit. Is the staff so inexperienced or inept that they can't tell when a terminally ill patient has only a short time left to live? Is this what health care in America is coming to???? |
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29 Jul 07 - 11:48 AM (#2114001) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: JennyO Hub-bub, Sharon? I thought it was a discussion of a news article that raises some interesting ideas. BTW if I coughed suddenly, my cat would probably run out of the room too. Loud noises will do that. Nothing to do with what I was talking about. I know what I've experienced with my cats. Although you apparently have a cat, from your last two posts it comes across to me that you don't like them very much. If you think they are so self-serving, why do you have one? From the article you linked to (which I had read earlier): Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. ............... Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices. So you really think he wouldn't settle in a room with one visitor, yet with a lot of people coming in and moving chairs around, he insisted on staying out of "stubbornness"? Your assumptions sound like more of a stretch than what these people, including doctors and nurses, have observed and believe is true. Your criticisms of the nursing home seem rather unfair too, based on the story you read and nothing more. Are you really that much of a cynic, or are you enjoying being "devil's advocate"? |
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29 Jul 07 - 11:54 AM (#2114008) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing Well said, JennyO, thanks. |
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29 Jul 07 - 12:03 PM (#2114021) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Donuel Last month the "reverse" happened. My neighbor who is a CIA translator and widowed for 6 years since her husband of the same occupation passed away, found her 14 year old cat "Spider" had died. She said it curled up on her husband's pillow and went to 'sleep' -which it had nver ever done before. |
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29 Jul 07 - 12:35 PM (#2114052) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA Geez, Jenny, lighten up. I'm not an ogre. I love cats! And I like them very much, too. Some people call me a cat lady. If it were possible, I would adopt all the homeless cats everywhere. I have one because one is all I can afford right now, and because I've worked very hard with her for four years to gain her trust and acceptance and to turn her from rescued feral kitten into happy housepet. Yes, I do consider cats to be self-serving. It amuses me to observe their behavior. It pleases me when they deign to acknowledge my existence! Yes, I am something of a cynic AND I enjoy playing devil's advocate... AND I'm analytical. Yes, I draw conclusions based on the information available (doesn't everybody?), which in this case is what I've read. If contradictory info becomes available, I'll take it into consideration and form conclusions from the whole. Also, I tend to write in a more formal tone than I use when speaking. Sorry if it all seems off-putting. Hope to meet you and Kat at a Gather or Getaway someday, so you can judge for yourselves whether I'm all that bad! Or ask Max or Pene Azul; they've met me and I haven't bitten either of them. Or ask Marymac or Bert; they have known me for years and as far as I know, they like me! :^) Sharon |
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29 Jul 07 - 12:47 PM (#2114057) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Rusty Dobro Wouldsn't Oscar be more useful OUTSIDE the facility? Give him a roving commission to wander round the streets until he attaches himself to an passer-by who until then thought he had a slight head-ache or mild indigestion. Result: passer-by has time to put his affairs in order, say his goodbyes, have wild unprotected sex, whatever, while Oscar builds a thriving private practice and can put the kittens through college. Meanwhile the elderly patients back on the ward can slide into oblivion untroubled by newscrews and those pesky relatives who've ignored them for the past 40 years. There's potential for a joke along the lines of 'I was feline good until that cat came in!' but I can't be bothered to think about it. Anyway, haven't vultures been performing a similar trick for years? |
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29 Jul 07 - 12:51 PM (#2114060) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA Oh, yes, and by "hub-bub" I did not mean this discussion thread specifically; I meant allthe discussions, articles, TV news reports, etc., etc. that have all sprung up worldwide from the article in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
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29 Jul 07 - 05:59 PM (#2114248) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Liz the Squeak Vultures usually have the good grace to wait until the body has ceased moving... I like vultures. LTS |
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29 Jul 07 - 07:03 PM (#2114288) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing Sharon, didn't you used to play on Mudcat radio sometimes? And, how IS MaryMaC? I miss those days!! |
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29 Jul 07 - 07:30 PM (#2114298) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA Hi, Kat! Yes, indeed, I did appear on Mudcat Radio three or four times at the tail end of its existence. Marymac had been been trying to convince me to become a Mudcat member and sing on the program for a l-o-n-n-g-g-g time before I was finally convinced to give it a go... just in time to see Mudcat Radio's demise. :^( According to this old thread about my first Mudcat Radio appearance, you heard it! Marymac is just fine! She lives a bit farther away now, but I see her several times a year when she comes into Philly for an open mic event we both like to attend. Next time she and I run into each other, I'll pass along your good thoughts! |
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30 Jul 07 - 01:26 AM (#2114459) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Ebbie As to curling up on the warm bed next to a near-death person, you may have noticed that an expiring person's body is not as warm as a healthy person's. It would seem that if he were only interested in his comfort the cat would seek out another spot. |
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30 Jul 07 - 05:01 AM (#2114516) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: GUEST,Sheerluck Holmes Staff are bumping off patients. Cat likes the smell of whatever it is they are giving them. |
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30 Jul 07 - 10:02 AM (#2114709) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: katlaughing Sharon, thanks for the memory jog. I thought I remembered you from the Radio. Didn't you play concertina, too? Please tell MaryMac a lot of us miss her and to get herself on in here!*smile* |
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30 Jul 07 - 11:34 AM (#2114778) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Charley Noble Odd that the cat's name is "Oscar." That's the same name of a cat that was rescued from the sinking of the German battleship Bismark in World War 2. The crew of the British destroyer Cossack that rescued him was sunk in turn by a German submarine three weeks later. Oscar again surived and was adopted by the crew of the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal. It too was torpedoed and sunk, the cat rescued again but this time sent ashore to live out his years in a place called "The Home for Sailors" at Belfast. I wonder if he curled up alongside dying sailors there. Maybe "Oscar" came back! Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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30 Jul 07 - 02:11 PM (#2114914) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: SharonA Remember what I said about folks wanting those 15 minutes of fame? Part of that phenomenon is the copycat phase, and it has begun (or, in this case, copydog): Scamp, the Dog of Death |
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30 Jul 07 - 10:31 PM (#2115197) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: cookster That is just weird!! |
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31 Jul 07 - 12:34 AM (#2115249) Subject: RE: BS: Cat Forsees Death? From: Ebbie 'Copycat' is not necessarily the phenomenon. It is entirely possible that some people read the previous story and said, Hey, we've got the same thing here. People just don't know about it. Let's tell them. Not necessarily less - or more - believable. |