Wanna bet?
Posted on 07/30/2007 9:21:09 AM PDT by 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."
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.
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.
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!
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!
Dr. CATvorkians!!
Be happy or be dinner, your choice.
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!
LOL Very clever!
Was this right after you ran the can opener?
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.
I’m getting CATatonic reading all of this.
Rubbish.
Then they pass on before us and it tears our hearts out.
But it's worth it.
“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.
Wanna bet?
Looks like an angel to me! She is blind in one eye?....did you have anything to do with that??? ;)
Ya just might end up meeting real angels. ;-)
Not a very convincing disguise, you can see the wings and everything. sigh, that cat’s not even trying.
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