• Harbringer of Death

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:44 pm**

So here's the story.

Oscar the Death Cat

KTVI - myFOXstl.com) --
He's not a black cat, but when this kitty comes calling, it might mean your time is almost up.

His name is Oscar, and he lives at a nursing and rehab center in Rhode Island.

And doctors there say Oscar has an almost uncanny ability in predicting when a patient is about to die.

They documented more than two dozen cases where Oscar entered a patient's room and refused to leave.

Within hours the patient died.

The visits from the furry "Grim Reaper" are actually considered a blessing.

Doctors and family say it gives them a chance to say their final farewells.

Oscar's ability is written up in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

Now extra-sensory perception has been documented in animals for a long time - but there's somehting about this story that makes me wonder.

Is the cat there to observe the death . . . or to cause it?

In the middle ages, it was thought that a cat could steal the breath from a sleeping human, killing them. Now I doubt most cats can do such things . . . but maybe there is something that looks like a cat that can.

I think this is worth investigating.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:47 pm**

Times like this, I'm glad I'm a dog person.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:00 pm**

I still trust Mr. Fluffers - my gut says soemthign has possssed Oscar or created a cat-like body for himself.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:14 pm**

Could be a new breed of banshee. No pun intended.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:27 pm**

Not sure how you can make a pun there.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:44 pm**

Another thought is that the cat is aware of something no one else is, say like an Entity? You never know.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:03 am**

That's not all that difficult to imagine.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:12 am**

That's an interesting thought, Ron. I tend to think that's not the case, however. I mean, they don't note any "surprise losses", so it would seem that those that die are already well on their way to meet their makers. Maybe that's just me, though?

But I have to say, all the same... Whiskey, thanks for being a loyal canine companion.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:22 am**

Shadow, you think it's trying to protect these people from something else wandering the halls?

Just because they are lost causes, doens't mean we should let something pick them off Logos. Besides, the cat knows their death is close before the doctors and nurses - so perhaps something is happening to the people it stays with beyond the normal course of age and disease.

Incidently, other articles on this report the Cat is distant, evn unfriendly towards all other people in the building - it only shows affection for those about to die.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:25 am**

Ron Caliburn wrote:Not sure how you can make a pun there.

Breed of cat, breed of banshee.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:32 pm**

Ron Caliburn wrote:Shadow, you think it's trying to protect these people from something else wandering the halls?

Just because they are lost causes, doens't mean we should let something pick them off Logos. Besides, the cat knows their death is close before the doctors and nurses - so perhaps something is happening to the people it stays with beyond the normal course of age and disease.

Incidently, other articles on this report the Cat is distant, evn unfriendly towards all other people in the building - it only shows affection for those about to die.

Its entirely possible there's nothing malicious going on and the cat (or cat thing) is simply there to ease the passing of people who are largely forgotten by their families.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:04 pm**

Banshee are not necessarily malicious.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:28 am**

Bert_the_Turtle wrote:Its entirely possible there's nothing malicious going on and the cat (or cat thing) is simply there to ease the passing of people who are largely forgotten by their families.

Possible but unproven.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:30 am**

I think Oscar's cute.

Hannah

PS: Not that I'm eager for him to purr in my ear.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:58 am**

i just saw something about oscar in the news. i think they're trying to claim that it has to do with heating pads, or something.

i still think that cats are just smarter. besides, how do the people at the hospital know to puit a heating pad on those people?

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 6:19 pm**

That's their job

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:07 pm**

If this is because of heating pads . . . I'll eat one.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:43 am**

Kolya wrote:That's their job

so you're saying their job involves figuring out who's going to die next, then put a heating pad on them? just to try to make a cat look good?

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:54 am**

Ron Caliburn wrote:If this is because of heating pads . . . I'll eat one.

I’m sure Hannah and I can make it taste pretty good . . . just in case you have to eat your words. Not likely I hope, but always be prepared . . . .

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:52 pm**

You seen the x-rays of that python that ate a heating pad?

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:59 pm**

Kolya wrote:You seen the x-rays of that python that ate a heating pad?

No.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:21 pm**

Eilonwy Solstice wrote:
Kolya wrote:You seen the x-rays of that python that ate a heating pad?
No.

It was lethal for the python.

Posted: **Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:15 am**

and i'm sure the heating pad's pretty useless, too.

Posted: **Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:34 am**

I probably would not to use it anyway.

Posted: **Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:41 am**

I still think the cat's pretty cool. I don't get the feeling at all that he's the killer, just that he'd rather stay with these people to help them pass easier into the next life.

As for the heating pads...I'm with Ron on that one.

Posted: **Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:58 am**

I'll bring you all heating pads when I visit. I have to see this.

Posted: **Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:07 am**

You are assuming a lot there Kolya.

Posted: **Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:43 am**

Hey, we just need a couple of snakes, the heating pads, two cats, and one old person, and we can test out ALL these theories!

Actually, I think those are the makings of a really odd Saturday night.

Posted: **Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:33 am**

I've had odder.

Posted: **Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:58 am**

Me, too, but a different kind of odd.