| If cats can sense when someone is about to die, | | | | made available to nursing homes, hospitals, and |
| what are the implications for the future? | | | | hospices to help doctors and nurses know when |
| I recently read a news story in the Telegraph | | | | patients are about to die. Or these cats might be |
| published in the U.K. about a cat that can detect | | | | made available to terminal patients to help them |
| when patients in nursing homes are near death. | | | | better prepare by knowing death is near. |
| For five years, Oscar, a generally unsociable cat | | | | Second, these cats might provide a warning that |
| at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation | | | | could save some people from death. For example, |
| Center, which cares for patients with severe | | | | if a cat senses that someone is dying and curls up |
| dementia in Providence, Rhode Island, would | | | | next to that person, a doctor or nurse who sees |
| suddenly become sociable when people were | | | | this behavior might be able to intervene to save |
| about to die. Normally, Oscar, who was adopted | | | | that person with some last minute life-saving |
| as a kitten by the Center, would pace about from | | | | measures to bring that person back. After all, |
| room to room not paying attention to anyone, | | | | there are many examples of people who |
| but a few hours before a patient died, he would | | | | experience near death experiences and are |
| jump on the patient's bed. | | | | resuscitated. Maybe the cats could help identity |
| In fact, according to Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician | | | | such patients who are near death that might be |
| and assistant professor at Brown University, who | | | | revived. |
| followed this case and wrote about it in his book: | | | | Third, if your normally detached and distant cat |
| MAKING ROUNDS WITH OSCAR: THE | | | | suddenly becomes very friendly and curls up |
| EXTRAORDINARY GIFT OF AN ORDINARY CAT | | | | beside you, maybe that could be an early warning |
| published by Hyperion in 2010, the cat was even | | | | sign that you have an unrecognized dangerous |
| more accurate than the nurses. Once when the | | | | condition that you better get checked out. After |
| nurses placed him on the bed of a patient they | | | | all, if cats can sense a coming death, maybe they |
| thought was about to die, Oscar jumped off the | | | | can start sensing serious health problems, too. |
| bed and jumped onto the bed of another patient. | | | | And maybe at some point, doctors and nurses |
| While the second patient died a few hours later | | | | might start using these cats to help them in |
| that night, the first patient lingered for two more | | | | diagnosing the seriousness of a patient's conditions. |
| days. | | | | In fact, if the lawyers have anything to say about |
| In Dosa's view, the cat was able to perceive the | | | | this, doctors and nurses may be required to do |
| closing in of death, because he can, like dogs, | | | | so as part of a standard diagnosis practice in the |
| smell ketones, which are the biochemicals that | | | | future. And this use of cats will give the notion of |
| dying cells give off. Moreover, Dosa has found | | | | doing a CAT Scan a whole new meaning. For now |
| Oscar's perception of a coming death comforting | | | | there will be CAT scans and cat scans, with cats |
| to the relatives and friends of the dying patient, | | | | doing their own type of body scans. |
| because he would be there if they couldn't be | | | | And perhaps when a person is close to death, if |
| when the patient died. | | | | they want this, they can request a cat as a |
| Now I think this is pretty amazing and has | | | | companion animal to help them feel better as |
| implications for future developments. | | | | they pass over to the other side - a little like |
| First, if one cat has this ability to sense an | | | | calling on Charon, the boatman in Greek |
| impending death, certainly other cats do, or the | | | | mythology, to take them across the river Styx. |
| ability might be developed by giving them treats | | | | Just think of them as cute little cats curled up like |
| when they correctly identity when a patient is | | | | boats to help modern day patients cross over |
| dying. Then, these uniquely gifted cats might be | | | | comfortably to the other side. |