Nostradamus

CNN ran a story yesterday about a cat who lives in a nursing home and is able to predict when patients are going to die. Apparently this cat, Oscar, cuddles up in bed next to people during their final hours and, so far, he's batting 1000 (25 out of 25 correct).

People quoted in the article were speculating on whether he "notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him" or if he is "driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket." I personally find it hard to believe that patients only get heated blankets in the final throes of life. Surely there are other beds Oscar can curl up on, no?

When my grandfather was ill, my sister and I were convinced that my mom's cat, Ashley, knew he was dying. There were times when, I swear, it looked like she was watching people move around the living room who we couldn't see. A little freaky.

Like animals who sense impending danger (e.g., earthquakes, tornadoes), I wonder if it is possible for certain animals, like Oscar, to receive advanced warning signals of some kind. Maybe it's as simple as a change in atmospheric pressure or the ability to detect small tremors in the earth; but, perhaps it's something more intuitive.

A friend from grad school once stayed on our couch for weeks while looking for a job in the city. He told me that he always knew when I was coming home -- and it didn't matter if it was 10:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. -- because our cat, Stinky, would wake up from her nap and start to groom herself a few minutes before I walked in the door.

Whatever the cause, I'm flattered! If only my kids could tap into that psychic ability and pick-up their toys before I walk in the door, now that would be something.