Seattle Nursing Home Says It Has Copycat Death Cat

knbc.com ^ | 7/27/07

[Slings and Arrows]

SEATTLE -- You may have heard about an uncanny cat that apparently has the ability to predict deaths at a Rhode Island retirement home.

Now another nursing home is claiming it has its own feline barometer of the great beyond, and he's living out his nine lives in West Seattle.

Ten-year-old tabby Buckwheat makes the rounds at the Providence Mount St. Vincent nursing home, blissfully unaware of the reputation that precedes him.

Nurses at the facility claim that Buckwheat knows when a resident is about to die, and does his best to give comfort.

"Climb in bed with the person, curl up next to them, nuzzle them, nap with the person and he'll stay with them through that dying process," said Brenda Jennings.

Buckwheat was donated to the retirement home three years ago by a woman who was herself dying and could no longer care for the cat.

Since then, workers said Buckwheat has been with about three dozen patients when they've passed without a single diagnosis.

"Buckwheat often will stay until the mortician comes," said Jennings. "Buckwheat's better than morphine."

Skeptics might say Buckwheat is simply snuggling up to a warm body, but hospice workers believe there is much more to it than that.

John Caster says he's seen the same thing with other cats.

"Typically it could be people where they didn't go in that room ever before and suddenly they're going in there for a couple days and the person dies," he said.

With such deadly accuracy, you might think people of an advanced age might avoid any run-ins with Buckwheat at any cost, but that's not the case.

Tilly Pfeffer says Buckwheat is no grim reaper, but a furry little angel.

"When he comes I'm happy that he comes," she said.

"I think it's wonderful how an animal can be such a true friend."

[Slings and Arrows]

"Death is o-tay!"

[Slings and Arrows]

Run for your lives! They're multiplying!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Buckwheat's better than morphine.

I wish Cotton was a death cat.

[Monkey Face]

Great story! I love it when animals teach us things.

[Fawn]

Cats are amazing...I swear they are angels.

[RedRover]

Death Cat II.

[Ingtar]

My cat(s) always know when I am hurting or down and always seem to be there to bump my forehead and show affection when I need it.

[Fawn]

Cats are angels in disguise:

[lilycicero]

Ever heard of a soul eater? Could it be?

[Nachum]

Reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode where a man’s dog helps him get to heaven instead of hell.

[Biggirl]

Another good conforting kitty. =^..^=

[upsdriver]

Or is it a serial killer kitty?

[jeddavis]

Cats simply can see spirits; humans cannot.

[LongElegantLegs]

[COBOL2Java]

First thing they gotta do is get the rifle away from the cat!

[Slings and Arrows]

LOL! Ganked!!!

[RedRover]

Maybe that’s where they get their nine lives.

[Daffynition]

[meowmeow]

All these years I thought my kitties wanted to cuddle with me in bed. Now I find out they are just waiting for me to die.

[beaversmom]

Scary Death Kitties

[DancesWithCats]

My kitties know when I don’t feel well or when I’m sad ... I get lots of head bumps and cuddles and purrs and if I don’t respond, I get bit.

[beaversmom]

Or is it a serial killer kitty?

Good point. You have nurses that are suspiciously in the room whenever someone dies--now we have two kitties that just happen to be around. I think someone needs to do some investigating.

[Young Werther]

Cats were revered in Ancient Egypt.

During the Middle Ages their magical powers were feared. Some eople believe that when witches and cats were destroyed, the rodent population grew and the Black Plague ensued. Only when cats reestablished their feline forces did the Plague subside.

Cats were connected with witches and were thought to be a witch's familiar!

Cats - A History

Remember the old tale of cats sucking out the breath from babies in cribs? This had a positive effect since parents would tend to their children more and sudden death syndrome would be minimized.

I have a black cat and a white cat. I guess I have all bases covered. Meow!

[Fawn]

Dr. CATvorkians!!

[Slings and Arrows]

My kitties know when I don’t feel well or when I’m sad ... I get lots of head bumps and cuddles and purrs and if I don’t respond, I get bit.

Be happy or be dinner, your choice.

[Sunshine Sister]

My cat saw a spirit once. It was in the morning. She bolted out of the basement to the kitchen and was standing on her back feet reaching for someting with her front paw. There was nothing there but she saw something!

[DancesWithCats]

LOL Very clever!

[DancesWithCats]

Was this right after you ran the can opener?

[Sunshine Sister]

Thanks for the grin. No it was first thing in the morning. The refrigerator had not been opened yet!!!

[jeddavis]

Once in a while one of my cats would be lying in bed with me with both a white noise device and the AC on and some mouse would take two steps near the AC convector on the floor; naturally the cat's ears would go straight up and BAM pounce he'd be straight down on top of that mouse faster than you could blink.

Hearing a mouse move through all that is like you standing 15' away from somebody revving the engine on a motorcycle and somebody else drops a pin ten feet on the other side of the bike and you're going to hear the pin drop as if the bike werer not being revved and there was no other noise.

[NCC-1701]

I’m getting CATatonic reading all of this.

[jwh_Denver]

Rubbish.

[jwh_Denver]

Then they pass on before us and it tears our hearts out.

[meowmeow]

You've got that right! My last kitty was just short of 19 years when she passed. I was heartbroken. But now I have two incredible kitties, a brother and sister from the same litter (actually they were the entire litter). They are the best of friends and I don't even want to think about what that will mean down the road.

But it's worth it.

[jwh_Denver]

“But it’s worth it.”

You’re so right. After having 2 wonderful cats pass on, my wife and I got 2 kittens 4 years ago (if you hit my home page there is a link there, Cooper and Chutzpah) and I appreciate them and love them even more since their time is so “short” with us.

[uglybiker]

Cats are angels in disguise:

Wanna bet?

[Fawn]

Looks like an angel to me! She is blind in one eye?....did you have anything to do with that??? ;)

[uglybiker]

The other eye's green. And I dare anybody to try and put cute little angel wings on her!

Ya just might end up meeting real angels. ;-)

[Fawn]

So... she has a strong PURRsonality. She still looks like an angel to me. ;)

[exile]

Not a very convincing disguise, you can see the wings and everything. sigh, that cat’s not even trying.

[Fawn]

It doesn’t have to ‘try’...it ‘is’.

[Fawn]

Cute kitties. You should go on ebay and purchase a nice tall cat tree for them. I swear I got one for $75...about 5 feet tall....

[jwh_Denver]

Thank you. We’ve got a 6 footer that they goof around on.