You Can Put as Much Spin as You Like on It, But the Cat’s Still Responsible.
August 1, 2007
Filed under Distractions
Most of us know that cats are evil.
Meet Oscar (see his police mugshot left). Oscar has evolved a step beyond the cliched Cat Burgler. He’s become (perhaps) the world’s first Cat Murderer. That’s the opinion of this Daddy Blogger anyway. “What’s the story?” you ask?
Let me first explain where I came across this mass-murdering moggy…
Laura Young is an accomplished intelligent and personable life-coach, whose writing style I genuinely admire. Nevertheless, you can tell a cat lover when you meet one…
I noticed that Laura’s post entitled Cat Predicts Nursing Home Deaths puts a nice spin on one cat’s presence at the scene of many deaths in the Nursing Home:
On his way back to the charting area, Oscar passes a plaque mounted on the wall. On it is engraved a commendation from a local hospice agency: “For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat.” Oscar takes a quick drink of water and returns to his desk to curl up for a long rest. His day’s work is done. There will be no more deaths today, not in Room 310 or in any other room for that matter. After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile.
Note: Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he
serves.
That’s lovely and all, but an alternate reading of the situation is that the Cat’s responsible!!
Am I the only one who picked up the sentence: ‘After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile’? Or this: His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death”?
Get the cat the heck out of there!
Oscar, I’ve seen your face. You better stay far far away from this little black duck. I got a car tyre with your name on it.
(Laura, feel free to make fun of me too! 
)
This has to be the most blogged-about cat in history, and rightly so. Whether the cat has a hidden weapon, or whether it has some sort of supernatural power is yet to be determined, but one thing remains clear – the cat is the one causing those deaths.
The fact that these nursing home patients were probably about to die anyway is simply a coincidence.
On the other hand, if the cat actually did know about the deaths without causing them, imagine how useful that would be in a war zone.
The thing that I guess caught my eye is the way in which people interpret events. You can often slant them any way you want to.
Oh my God, cats as weapons of mass destruction. Yes! If I can just train the minions of feral cats who have decided my yard is their home…I could rule my entire suburb! Muwahahaha. Yes, Queen of West Chicago. Ah…it’s all becoming so clear.
Um, Markk, you forgot formidable. I’m an accomplished intelligent FORMIDABLE and personable life-coach.
Oh dear, I meant Pete, not Markk. I can’t help it. I was sitting here getting all crazy with Luigi on some primo catnip and then the visions of our dominion over West Chicago…gosh, maybe even Naperville…I just got all spun around.
Must….focus….world…spinning…
Hmm…blocking me now, are ya? Trying to correct my comment to Markk back at ya Pete but I can’t seem to post 2 in a row…that’s okay, once I’m Queen, all that will change. Oh yes it will. Oh yes. It will.
Sorry there was a delay in your comments getting posted Laura, my comment approval filter was on and you posted during the Australian nighttime, so I’ve only now got to my emails etc and hit yes (3 times).
Yes, please don’t confuse me with Markk.
And formidable? That’s a great attribute for any type of coach. Thanks for dropping by!
Pete, it is an honour for you to be confused with me!
Pete
Having ALSO seen this story I had VERY similar thoughts about the cat. Definitely homicidal! Why can’t these people see it?? It’s like watching a scary movie and yelling at the screen, “watch out”!
Markk wasn’t lying. I hadn’t realised how much this post has been done already . Check out this one: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7060