Mystic Mog: The Doctor's Death Cat

A cat with special powers has come to the attention of the world's press. This special cat, named Oscar, lives in a U.S. nursing home after being adopted as a 'therapy cat' for the home's residents.

Staff discovered Oscar's unique ability when he was just 6 months old. He would curl up to sleep next to patients who then died not long after. So far he has accurately predicted about 50 deaths.

Oscar became known in the medical world first through Doctor David Dosa, an assistant professor at Brown University in the US. Amazed by the cat's abilities, Dosa wrote a paper in 2007 that was published by the New England Journal of Medicine. While the paper intended to tell of how Oscar seemed to predict the death of humans, Dosa has been misunderstood by some readers who thought the cat caused death.

"After the New England Journal article you got the feeling that if Oscar is in your bed then you are dead" Dosa said.

Dosa tells of one particular incident when staff were sure that a patient was close to death but Oscar wasn't as sure and plainly refused to go anywhere near them. Instead he chose to sit on the bed of another elderly patient. To the amazement of the nursing staff, Oscar had predicted the death of this unfortunate patient who passed away during the night, surprising the staff and leaving the first patient to live another day.

An explanation for why this special cat could predict someone's death could not be given by Dosa. "I don't think Oscar is that unique but he is in a unique environment. Animals are remarkable in their ability to see things we don't, be it the dog that sniffs out cancer or the fish that predicts earthquakes. Animals know when they are needed."

Don't worry though; this particular cat's talent doesn't seem to be common. So next time your feline friend curls up on your lap it is probably just because they want your attention.

On a similar theme; have you ever wondered what your pet is thinking? This video tells you what it's all about. It's a bit 'out there' so make your own mind up and let me know what you think.

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