Post by: Angel Eyes on July 25, 2007, 02:52:06 PM
"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."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/07/25/national/a141306D42.DTL&tsp=1
Evil soul that I am, I thought it would be fun to visit the home with a few cans of tuna and a can opener.
"Oh look, here comes Oscar."
"No! NOOOOO! Get the evil death cat away from me!"
etc.
-Jack
Post by: mtnbkr on July 25, 2007, 03:03:04 PM
Quote
"No! NOOOOO! Get the evil death cat away from me!"
ROTFLMAO!!
Chris
Post by: Harold Tuttle on July 25, 2007, 03:55:36 PM
its a chupacabra
Post by: RevDisk on July 25, 2007, 04:59:14 PM
Ah, Oscar the deathkitty. I'm not very surprised actually. Cats have historically been known for mystic elements. More than a few religions have incorporated it into their belief systems.
thats no cat,
its a chupacabra
its a chupacabra
American McGee's Alice. One of my favorite old games, I should pick it up again. Insane visuals, very lovely music. The twisted Cheshire Cat is a lovely addition. Allegedly, it's being turned into a movie. Definitely has potential, but I have faith that Hollywood will find a way to ruin it.
Post by: MillCreek on July 25, 2007, 05:25:05 PM
Post by: Bigjake on July 25, 2007, 06:05:38 PM
Post by: Harold Tuttle on July 25, 2007, 06:06:30 PM
Post by: Nitrogen on July 25, 2007, 06:32:34 PM
(His eyes are blacked out cuz he's currently on duty in the backyard, part of Operation Rat and Roach Death)
Post by: Gewehr98 on July 25, 2007, 07:02:50 PM
I played all the way through that drug trip of a game. The Cheshire Cat drove me nuts.
I'll have to install it again on my latest computer and see how well I do.
Post by: gunsmith on July 26, 2007, 12:22:50 AM
Post by: wmenorr67 on July 26, 2007, 12:29:36 AM
Post by: Tallpine on July 26, 2007, 05:59:40 AM
Post by: crt360 on July 26, 2007, 06:45:55 AM
As for Oscar the death cat - imagine finding out the dying people had a cat allergy and Oscar's presence pushed them over the edge.
Post by: Harold Tuttle on July 26, 2007, 11:41:09 AM
Post by: Tallpine on July 26, 2007, 11:54:08 AM
But she won't even kill a mouse
Post by: Paddy on July 26, 2007, 11:54:17 AM
Who knows why this cat does this, and who is to say it offers no comfort?
Post by: Harold Tuttle on July 26, 2007, 11:59:38 AM
Post by: French G. on July 26, 2007, 07:27:56 PM
I suppose in a really extreme case you could wake up in perfectly good health, see the cat who is just on your bed for a moment doing its rounds, think he's there to sit a spell, have a heart attack and then die. The cat would make an interesting literary device, being pretty much an animation of the intangible force of death we all deal with. Wearing my evil hat I could see me dripping a little tuna juice and catnip oil on the bedding of someone I really didn't like though.
What Riley said about nursing homes is right, I visited a few Minnesota nursing homes to see relatives of the wife's. Places give me nightmares. Predominately women, all the men had Lucky Strike, coffee, and farm cooking heart attacks 20+ years ago, most of them still on the farm. Many of the women had aerial pictures of their farmhouse in the grove, most of them gone as a non-resident farmer knocked down the house and grove for more land to plant. The ones I visited had the old family group photos from the 40's and could name all the already deceased brothers, uncles, and fathers. The contrast between the present and the lives they had made the sense of loss and death so tangible to me. Few there had visitors, the home had a big aviary with finches that was popular. I still give my wife stuffed animals because she loves them and it is a light little expression of our affection. I saw one old woman there who had a teddy bear and the way she clutched it you could tell it was all the companionship she had or could comprehend anymore. How a person could go from a family to being left with a stuffed animal, I don't know, it still hurts me to think about 15 years later. How could her family and friends leave her like that?
My grandfather passed at 92, senile for 10 years or more, didn't know his own wife. She passed a year earlier at 78 I believe, cognizant to the end, just died in her sleep from a lifetime of Pall Malls and the associated congestive heart failure. My father managed to have care for them in their home, they both died there. Somehow I have to do the same for my parents. Me, I hope to stay healthy into old age to be there for my wife. I'll eat a bullet before going to a nursing home myself. I'm glad the cat is there to keep folks company, when I get back home I need to start visiting one of the local homes. Nobody else does.
Post by: Iapetus on July 28, 2007, 10:45:46 AM
The people who were soon to die were apparently quite pleased to have the cat's company in their final hours.
And the relatives appreciated the fact that they had a warning that a death was imminent, so they could be there to say their goodbyes.
Post by: Tallpine on July 29, 2007, 10:12:44 AM
Post by: jeepmor on July 30, 2007, 08:02:56 AM
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I'd rather have my cat with me at the end than most relatives
Funny how life is. I'd prefer a dog, but yes. At least they did not pass completely alone. A pet would be comforting way to go to the abyss snuggled up with. Can't think of a more peaceful way. At that age, they feel overdue already.
My grandpa just passsed a few days ago. Too stubborn to die while My mom held his hand. He dies one hour after she left, alone. No cat that I recall was present. He probably would have snuggled with it though and passed with a smile. What a gentle man, he was a dairy farmer before retirement.