Nursing Home Cat Can Sense Death, ease passing »
Posted By y_soitenly 1 year, 2 months ago in NewsCHICAGO (Reuters) - When Oscar the Cat visits residents of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, the staff jumps into action -- Oscar can sense within hours when someone is about to die. In his two years living in Steere's end-stage dementia unit, Oscar has been at the bedside of more than 25 residents s
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Comments So Far: 63
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injest1 year, 2 months ago
I wonder if this could be a hardwire instinctive thing (or what ever it is called). Long before cats were domesticated (loosely) They had to forage for food like all other animals, they aren't that big so being able to "tell" when another animal (Food) was about to die would be helpful for there own survival.
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capn_caveman1 year, 2 months ago
No doubt, animals have been known to predict earthquakes and tsunamis and the like. It's not a big leap for me to believe that they can detect signs of impending death.
I bet we have some scientists scratching their heads over this one for a while.
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eddie1071 year, 2 months ago
This is an amazing story, almost mystical. Who knows what things we cant see that other creatures take for granted. Anyone who says we don't still have much to learn from our fellow inhabitants of this world is sadly mistaken.
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Flashygrrl1 year, 2 months ago
I also read another article about this cat. A staff member noticed signs that a patient was getting ready to die, but Oscar wouldn't lay down on the bed. They summoned the family anyways, and it was 6 hours before Oscar came and laid down. She died 4 hours later.
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HanymanComment removed: User banned.
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dood29053731 year, 2 months ago
Quadruple for Hillary, Pelosi, Osama, Kennedy, Moore, Radcliffe, and so on
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white-tiger01 year, 2 months ago
He's the grim reaper.....he's just pretending to be a cat.........
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Plain-0071 year, 2 months ago
Well I think this story with Oscar the Cat is really impressive. But it does not surprise me very much (in comparison). I witnessed one case even more impressive. It is very difficult to talk about these matters when it involves a dear one. When it involves a person we love so much. Oscar the Cat is a pet and is around the house all the time. The case I witnessed and lived through did not involve a pet. Certainly some animals "know" when something is wrong. They can even come from far away and stick around. It is mystical. It is something that inspires much respect and awe.(Continues)
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Plain-0071 year, 2 months ago
(Continued) . Probably it strikes me as mystical because a lot of other details related with the event that comes to (my) mind beside the sole fact of another living being (not a human) that comes closer when a person, a very special one (at least for me in this case) parts for Heaven and the hereafter. A detailed account would take many pages. Even a book could be written. To a certain extent it is the story of a lifetime. I have never told anybody about this. There are not many opportunities to vent this kind of events. Probably there are many stories like these but people do not dare to talk about them.
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scabbio1 year, 2 months ago
um, plain? sorry to down you but you didn't really say anything. i hope it gets easier as time goes on to deal with whatever it is..
our family dog, Brandy, was dying a couple of years ago, and one of our eldest cats, Spots, lay with all of us as she was being euthanized.
we all knew that spots knew what was going to happen.
it's nice to think about it that way.
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Plain-0071 year, 2 months ago
I perfectly understand you Dear Friend. And putting aside my usual modesty it seems you have been following me, and if I am correct and I am catching you attention then I have accomplished a lot even when communication may be happening at an unconscious level. But I am not challenging what you are saying. It is correct that I am saying very little. But you know very well that I have much to say. It may or it may not be important what I say. It is up to you to consider. But I feel that dialogue in good faith is always of benefit for everybody involved. Thanks for your comments that are very welcome here and I consider of much benefit. (PS â;; As far as Spots is concerned he may be able to scene and to (probably) know a little bit more of what (at this point) you think!)
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Plain-0071 year, 2 months ago
I perfectly understand you Dear Friend. And putting aside my usual modesty it seems you have been following me, and if I am correct and I am catching you attention then I have accomplished a lot even when communication may be happening at an unconscious level. But I am not challenging what you are saying. It is correct that I am saying very little. But you know very well that I have much to say. (Continues)
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koranagirl1 year, 2 months ago
I'm glad this story is getting some attention on netscape. Actually, there's no "mystery" about this at all. Pets live half in this world and half on the otherside, or betterside, as my daughter says. So they know when someone is crossing over or about to. Although the article said that most people were in a coma or didn't know the cat was there, it didn't dispute the fact that others in fact did know, but it didn't seem to bother them. The reality is, when the elderly are about to cross over, their bodies are well worn out and not very functional at all. A trip to the otherside at that point is welcome. Further, the angels and spirits on the otherside have well prepared them. People who speak at or around their time of death will often "see" their relatives and close friends and spouses that have already crossed over. Pets that have crossed over will push their way to get to them. No mystery. It happens over and over.
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koranagirl1 year, 2 months ago
And for the skeptics and atheists or whatever out there, the claim is that people hallucinate at the time of death, but true hallucinations would not be repeated in the same way as these last words are. I have a cat that always knows when I am getting home and greets me at the car door--despite the fact I come home at widely varying times. My car is parked about 100 feet from my home. I live in Chicago and the street is busy. The cat can be sleeping in or outdoors just 5 min earlier, and he always comes to greet me. Again, they "know" what is going on because they live half here and half on the otherside and they can communicate with both angels and spirits on the otherside. Further, I think they "know" what is going to happen because they are well aware of our daily charts. My dogs and other cats I have had does not do this, but this cat does. He's very affectionate and needy too.
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CORVIDIVS1 year, 2 months ago
... in our heck-about worl', animals HAVE ta see more than we have the patience to access, while we be dodgin' scammers 'n spammers, they have the time to be fine tuned, 'specially in th' wil'...
... no sense tryin' convincin' the anaesthectics, etc. ... they be a discoverin' things soon enuff [a considerin' hist'ry's blink of an eye]...
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BronxBomber1 year, 2 months ago
A cat in a nursing home? That's quite unsanitary not to mention potential health reactions to residents who may develop severe allergic reactions, and heaven help the nursing home if it leads to major health risks and they wind up getting sued by the relatives of the residents afflicted.
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Flashygrrl1 year, 2 months ago
They let animals into nursing homes all the time. Trained dogs and miniature horses are the norm now and have been for years. I will assume before the nursing home accept a new patient they check for allergies.
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TOtheMOON1 year, 2 months ago
The nursing home my hubby's grandmother was in had a dog. Most of the residents absolutely adored him, but a few were rather irritated by his presence. He usually hung out with the employees and occasionally made rounds visiting those who welcomed him while staying out of the way of those who didn't. He was old too so he was super mellow.
There apparently wasn't any issue about health risk's or reactions from him and obviously the health department were okay with it as they visited frequently and they never told the place to get rid of him.
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shoequeen1 year, 2 months ago
Oh please, cats are one of the cleanest animals, much cleaner than dogs! What major risks could one get from a cat??
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DebraJMSmith1 year, 2 months ago
How do they know that the cat is not killing the elderly people by suffocation? The cat could end up on an elderly person's face. If you ask me, the cat looks demonic.
Debra...
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BronxBomber1 year, 2 months ago
Oops! Sorry! That was meant to be a pos vote dungirl...my bad!
RickytheGriff? Not a nice thing to say, or even funny dude.
:o|
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y_soitenly1 year, 2 months ago
Theres an old wives tale or urban legend as its called today, that speaks of cats that used to suck the breath from babies.
That has been proven to be false, the cats were attracted to the scent of milk on a baby and nothing more. But there are still some people today that won't ever let a cat near a baby.
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y_soitenly1 year, 2 months ago
ABANCOLA,
Re: cat finds a nice soft place to lay down in the crib...on the babys face and the infant was suffocated.
No, your wrong! Look it up on google if you don't believe me.
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lakeside551 year, 2 months ago
We don't know what chemical/biological changes are happening when a person is dying a "natural death". I'm sure that if chemical changes are happening that there are certain odors given off and the cat picks up on these. The cat learned from kitten-hood on that when it smells these that the person stops breathing.
Higher intelligence animals such as dogs and cats DO seems to know that breathing be it in them or us is a sign of life. I had a dog that I was very very close to who used to come and check my breathing ONLY when I was sick and lying on the couch!! I tested him one time by seeing him walking up to me and holding my breath (I had a cold at the time). He walked up and put his nose against my nose and felt nothing....he then let out the most mournful moan and started pawing at my body ! Feeling bad about him being sad I started breathing again. He jumped back slightly and his ears perked up and his tail started wagging. He licked my face and lay down next to me.
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procyon1 year, 2 months ago
Oscar is one of those Cheshire Cats. They come and go, then come back from who knows where. Cats do have abilities which I think give some people the creeps. Oscar has a great cat gig.
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lovemylibs1 year, 2 months ago
I had a lovely tabby years ago that had this very same ability. I watched as my Whiskers continuously rubbed the leg of Mary J. when my cousin Teddy brought her over for a visit. I thought to myself, "Oh Dear".
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