US cat 'predicts patient deaths'

[Joel007]

Makes you wish that society was more like the time of Shakespeare, when the taboo status of death and sex were reversed

 

[flygin]

That's so sad. I really hope he died of natural causes, and not people's stupidity.

 

[scalem X]

You can die of stupidity? Ooh I better hit the books again!

 

[gully_foyle]

I discussed this with a friend who works at an aged care home back in July. They have a few cats there and one or two do favour the really terminal ones. She didn't have any explanation for it. The residents didn't seem to mind either, in fact they loved the cats. One possibility is that those who are about to die are least likely to kick the cats off.

On a tenously related note, I saw a news story about a local guy who takes an Alpaca around aged care homes. Takes it into the rooms and all over the place. The people love it. The very young and the very old get a simple joy out of the tactile sensation of a hairy animal. Removing a cat because of media attention is pretty dumb.

p.s. I don't think the Alpaca has any prescient abilities.