As you know from previous blogs, I am an animal lover. I can't imagine living in a house without cute furry things. However, I have some mixed thoughts about the news story of Oscar, the cat, who lives at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, RI. I am sure you've heard of this story, but if not - here is a brief recap.
Oscar has been described as a non-social cat. He wants to be left alone, and actually hisses at patients who pass him in the halls. BUT - when he jumps onto a patient's bed and purrs -within hours, that patient dies. This has happened 24 times! He has been written about in the New England Journal of Medicine - and, of course, they are trying to make this event seem scientific - suggesting that Oscar can "smell death". Dr. David Dosa said, "His mere presence at the bedside is an almost absolute indicator of impending death."
Talk about the proverbial "kiss of death"! If I was a patient there I would insist they keep that cat the hell away from me!
I do believe that animals offer comfort - and have a somewhat spiritual connection to their owners - but this is just too weird for words.
The picture above is NOT of Oscar. It is a photo of my cat, Miss Sophie - whom I am keeping a watchful eye on now that I have heard all about Oscar. She looks a bit menacing, don't you think???? I can almost hear her say, "Look into my eyes...deep into my eyes. You are getting sleepy...sleepy. Your breath is becoming shallow."
Okay - maybe it is just my imagination. But I will remain vigilant, just in case.
1 comments:
I actually read something similar: cats can 'smell' or 'sense' disease, too. Supposedly, if you are ill, they will sniff out where. Like, this woman had cancer, and the cat kept sniffing her in the spot it was. I'm not making this up! Maybe it was just luck or coincidence...but I tend to believe they do have senses we don't. When I had pneumonia, Leia would not lay on my chest where the pneumonia was (I had it in the right lung). Serious!! She would gently lay on my shoulder, not venturing where I was 'sick.' Hmmmm....
But that nursing home cat is just...scary.
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