Hi to everybody...good afternoon to you all and I hope you have a bit of sunshine wherever you are, because we have today...don't know how long it's going to last but it was a bit of a lift to see it again...Here's something I've just read in the paper and thought it worth sharing with you..
Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.
His acuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chose someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.
'He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seem to understand when patients are about to die,' wrote Dr david Dosa in yesterday's New England Journal of Medicine. 'Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one,' he added.
The two year old feline grew up at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.
After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He would sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would end up dying in a few hours.
No one knows if Oscar's behaviour is scientifically significant, but the grey and white cat recently received a wall plaque at the home recommending his 'compassionate hospice care'....

This article moved me to tears and my husband was also bowled over by it...just something very beautiful about it, and a small example of proof there's so much more to animals than meets our eye...
Have a lovely day, and big hugs to one and all...