The article below tells of a cat who makes the rounds in a nursing home and has (as the article says) been right in visiting 25 patients who died within a few short hours.

You might find this article worth reading and discussing. I know my feline friends have very much compassion and always come to comfort me if I am feeling ill or sad; but ????? Hmmmmmm.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/does-cat-pr...WS0001000000000

What do you think?

I read the article. Quite interesting. I've always believed that animals really connect with emotions. When my wife was pregnant, our one very, very special cat would curl up next to her stomach everynight and just purr and purrr and purr. And this was before we knew she was pregnant!

God knoTim

People on this forum have an uncanny resemblance in interest.

This was posted earlier today as well.

I read the article a day or so ago. Animals do seem to sense things at times that people don't. I can't explain it.

Definitely compassion cat. F
Family friends had an elderly dog that had to be put down, and she had lived in uneasy harmony (meaning they were not cuddling mates)with the 3 cats for about 7 years. The morning the family got ready to take her to the vet, she was in her basket and suddenly the three cats converged on the basket and lay on the dog purring until they left. There was no logical way for the cats to know that this wasn't a regular vet visit.
Wonderful creatures! (Got my boxing gloves ready to help those who believe differently,um,see the light)

Indigo

As someone said, "I'd scare the cat away if he got near me."

CDL

Nearly a week now since the Oscar, the caring cat, story...this article from another? and slightly scientific point of view makes an interesting follow-up.

http://www.slate.com/id/2171469/?GT1=10346

I would probably croak anyway if I woke up and saw a cat in my room. Yech!

Dear ByzanTN,

That gave me a good laugh!

Actually, it's not that I don't like cats, (I had a lovely Persian one when I was young that I really tormented), but rather it seems they don't like me. The last two I tried to pet scratched me.

Now if someone thinks that the story about that cat is strange, then I recall reading about one that kept throwing itself at the back door. Well, finally the owner went outside realizing that something might be wrong. Well it turned out that there was a gas leak, that had the men not found it, could have blown up the whole neighborhood.

So I wonder, is it the cat or is it our guardian angels working through the sensory perception of a cat or dog. Here I'm calling my daughters dog dumb, because it can neither smell well, see well, or hear well...and let's face, what's a dog for anyway, if not for some protection. Yet, when it came upon the packed luggage of someone in the family leaving, it suddenly came to me in a loving way, wanting to be petted and acting very playful, as if wanting to tell me something. See, she's not so dumb now is she?

Well, the gist of what I'm saying is that it might not be the animal, but rather the 'spirit' guiding it. There are also bad spirits too. A few years ago, I passed a girl holding two dogs on a lease. They began growling when passing me, and she had to hold them back with all her strength. I just looked at her, wondering what in the world was the matter with them. Well, later on I realized that they were pit bulls. Now that is frightening. I guess they don't like me either.

God Bless,

Zenovia

It's not that I hate cats, I just can't have them in the house. They drive my allergies crazy. So I live in an animal free zone, since dogs are not much better. When I was a child, I had cats, dogs, and birds. But as I have gotten older, the allergies have gotten worse.

This morning the local newspaper had a cartoon about Oscar the cat. The caption said, "Grim reaper cat seen trying to nuzzle up to McCain campaign."

Thank you Charles...the above contribution does make me forgive you for not "loving cats." Just kidding.

Mary Jo

Thanks. I did note on another post that I don't hate cats, I'm just allergic to them. I know there are things you can do to lessen those allergies, but my work schedule leaves little time for dealing with animals, so I don't bother. But I think Oscar's record will be unbroken with McCain.