If cats can sense when someone is about to die, what are the implications for the future?
I recently read a news story in the Telegraph published in the U.K. about a cat that can detect when patients in nursing homes are near death. For five years, Oscar, a generally unsociable cat at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which cares for patients with severe dementia in Providence, Rhode Island, would suddenly become sociable when people were about to die. Normally, Oscar, who was adopted as a kitten by the Center, would pace about from room to room not paying attention to anyone, but a few hours before a patient died, he would jump on the patient's bed.
In fact, according to Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor at Brown University, who followed this case and wrote about it in his book: MAKING ROUNDS WITH OSCAR: THE EXTRAORDINARY GIFT OF AN ORDINARY CAT published by Hyperion in 2010, the cat was even more accurate than the nurses. Once when the nurses placed him on the bed of a patient they thought was about to die, Oscar jumped off the bed and jumped onto the bed of another patient. While the second patient died a few hours later that night, the first patient lingered for two more days.
In Dosa's view, the cat was able to perceive the closing in of death, because he can, like dogs, smell ketones, which are the biochemicals that dying cells give off. Moreover, Dosa has found Oscar's perception of a coming death comforting to the relatives and friends of the dying patient, because he would be there if they couldn't be when the patient died.
Now I think this is pretty amazing and has implications for future developments.
First, if one cat has this ability to sense an impending death, certainly other cats do, or the ability might be developed by giving them treats when they correctly identity when a patient is dying. Then, these uniquely gifted cats might be made available to nursing homes, hospitals, and hospices to help doctors and nurses know when patients are about to die. Or these cats might be made available to terminal patients to help them better prepare by knowing death is near.
Second, these cats might provide a warning that could save some people from death. For example, if a cat senses that someone is dying and curls up next to that person, a doctor or nurse who sees this behavior might be able to intervene to save that person with some last minute life-saving measures to bring that person back. After all, there are many examples of people who experience near death experiences and are resuscitated. Maybe the cats could help identity such patients who are near death that might be revived.
Third, if your normally detached and distant cat suddenly becomes very friendly and curls up beside you, maybe that could be an early warning sign that you have an unrecognized dangerous condition that you better get checked out. After all, if cats can sense a coming death, maybe they can start sensing serious health problems, too. And maybe at some point, doctors and nurses might start using these cats to help them in diagnosing the seriousness of a patient's conditions.
In fact, if the lawyers have anything to say about this, doctors and nurses may be required to do so as part of a standard diagnosis practice in the future. And this use of cats will give the notion of doing a CAT Scan a whole new meaning. For now there will be CAT scans and cat scans, with cats doing their own type of body scans.
And perhaps when a person is close to death, if they want this, they can request a cat as a companion animal to help them feel better as they pass over to the other side - a little like calling on Charon, the boatman in Greek mythology, to take them across the river Styx. Just think of them as cute little cats curled up like boats to help modern day patients cross over comfortably to the other side.
Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D. is the author of over 50 books and a seminar and workshop leader, specializing in social trends, work relationships, and professional and personal development. Her latest books include PLAYING THE LYING GAME, DISAGREEMENTS, DISPUTES, AND ALL-OUT WAR, WANT IT, SEE IT, GET IT! and ENJOY! 101 LITTLE WAYS TO ADD FUN TO YOUR WORK EVERYDAY. She has established an e-book company at E-Books Publishing to help clients write and publishing their own books. She also writes scripts and produces films for her own company CHANGEMAKERS and for clients.
Her Websites are at http://www.ginigrahamscott.com and http://www.changemakersproductions.com.
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