This evening at the gym I was perusing a semi-recent issue of People magazine while on the treadmill. I ran across an article about Oscar the cat, a two year old "resident" of a nursing home in Rhode Island, who has allegedly predicted 25 deaths.
According to the article I read, the researchers believe he can "smell" death coming. Also according to the article, the staff has taken to alerting family members when Oscar starts pacing or jumps up on a living breathing person's bed and starts kneading them and purring - alerting, as in "family members, the time has come."
Okay, first of all? GROSS.
Second of all? Strangely fascinating. Her Majesty certainly freaked the hell out right before the last earthquake, and her dearly beloved brother Riley had an uncanny ability to know when I was upset (he would force himself onto my lap even when I tried to push him away, and he would bat his little paw at my tears). I don't think cats get the credit they deserve.
Third of all? THIS is news? People, please.
If I saw some movie and the cat was all batting at its owner's tears, I would be all, "how bullshit! puke!"
ReplyDeleteBut the way you describe it it's actually a little ... tearjerking. Or at least sweet.
And great fodder for some kind of country song. Or at least alt-country.
"My cat ran off with my husband and I miss her... Yeehaw."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that sounds contrived but Riley was very sweet in general. My old cat Bear used to do the same thing, oddly enough he and Riley looked almost identical and behaved almost identically. All my other cats couldn't give a shit if I was upset.
I should post the picture of Riley and Her Maj watching a show about wolves on the Discovery channel. They are actually standing right in front of the TV staring at it. Another thing that could be contrived as "how bullshit!" but it's true.