Cats that Live in Nursing Homes Around the Country

Recently the big news online was of Oscar, a cat that predicts death by curling up on a bed near a resident. Yes, I can honestly say this is a fact, although I have never met Oscar. I have met the cats that live in the nursing home where I have worked for a long time. Here a cat predicts death by curling up on a bed near a resident as well. In fact, we have five cats that predict death.

Oscar has nothing on Sammy, Autumn, Cleo, Tiger, and Cassie. The only difference with the six felines above is five of them live in the nursing home where I work and Oscar lives in a different nursing home. All six of the cats have the love of countless residents, staff, and family members.

Cassie by far is the best predictor of death, simply because she lives on the oxygen unit where the sickest people are. On any given week, there are at least two deaths on this unit or very narrow escapes with death. Some weeks such as during the holiday season, or when the air is very hot and humid Cassie is very busy indeed.

Autumn that lives on third floor and Sammy who lives on fourth floor, do their fare share of accurate predicting of death but since they live on the units which death rarely occurs they rarely play the role of the grim reaper. Third and floor floors usually hold those folks who can no longer walk, but still have a lot of living to do on some level. Autumn and Sammy are very busy during flu season and around the holidays with their dire predictions of death.

Tiger who lives on the locked unit known as North Unit rarely gets to predict death, but does on occasionally. North Unit is for those residents who have Alzheimer's, dementia, or other brain rotting diseases, which means constant attention is required. These residents are up and walking very much, but would not be safe wandering around by themselves at all. Some of these people are child like which Tiger runs away from them. He very much hates to be held or petted. He can be found sleeping in rooms under the beds, in hiding. When he bed sits, you know the end is near.