Name: John
E-mail: trubluaclu@gmail.com
Date posted: February 06, 2010 - 11:22 am
Message: It's been 14 years since my companion died of hiv-related dementia. We kept four cats, all female, who generally hated each other (except for a mother-daughter pair). On the morning of my partner's death, I came out into the living room, where we had set up his bed. A nurse I had hired was sitting on the sofa, and all four cats were on my partner's bed .... one above his head, one at each side, and the fourth (the "alpha" cat) between his legs. The nurse told me that she was unable to get near my partner, as the alpha cat would hiss menacingly with bared teeth if she approached. I was able to tend to him, and his breathing had slowed, consistent with someone on a morphine drip. He died within a few hours.

I have no doubt that there is indeed something smell-related associated with death that cats can sense. As well, my partner loved our cats and tended to them daily, and they no doubt knew what was happening and wanted to be with him.

Name: michelle jackson
E-mail: mjbcnc@aol.com
Date posted: February 06, 2010 - 08:43 am
Message: Hello Dr. Dosa,
I have 8 wonderful cats that live inside with me. They get up with me in the morning and see me off to the door when I leave for work at 6am. When I get home from work or school, they are right there waiting on me. We eat together and sleep together. They give me unconditional love. When I am doing homework 3 of them jump up on the desk and watch me study. They are my best friends in the world. When I am sick, they never leave my side. I love animals. I just finished your book and I donated it to our hopsital waiting room on my floor. Thank you for publishing this book. Oscar is awesome.

Name: Kelly Kruchkow-Moore
E-mail: kkmoore@novanthealth.org
Date posted: February 05, 2010 - 07:23 am
Message: Hi Dr. Dosa,
I wanted to tell you about my own special fur ball, Hanna. I've had her (or more like, she's had me), for the past 4 1/2 years. She's a Turkish Van and just full of herself.
I am a diabetic and have been most of my life. Once you've had diabetes for a long period of time you tend not to get the warning signs of low blood sugar. I have been known to total cars, black out and run into gas pumps, and many other things. I've been noticing for the last two years that when my blood sugar drops, Hanna is always there, trying to "wake me up". She'll paw at me and meow until she can get me moving. I believe animals can smell a chemical change in our bodies and that's how I think Oscar knows when someone is ready to pass, and how Hanna knows when my blood sugar is dropping. Animals are amazing beings and a true blessing to those who are lucky enough to be owned by them. My best to you and Oscar.

Name: Mary Grace C Borja
E-mail: borja_marygrace@yahoo.com
Date posted: February 05, 2010 - 02:09 am
Message: Hi Dr. Dosa,
When I read about Oscar, it reminded me of my childhood and how my cats have comforted me in times of illness in the family. I was sickly as a child and my mom would know that I'd be okay and will recover once my cat would sleep in my room. This is quite opposite of Oscar who foretells death.

In the Philippines, old wives tale say that when a cat sits or sleeps in the room of a person who is ill, the person will get well and the cat will die. Their explanation is that the cat will save you from death so they trade their soul instead. I don't believe in this but has witnessed at least 3-4 of my cats died after I got well and when my dad became very ill. Anyway my point is that I think there is that either there is something that ill human beings emit that draw cats to them or cats are just but angels of comfort. And maybe, like Oscar I know that cats are just but sweet, caring and comforting especially in times of illness, death and grief.

Name: bren
E-mail: Private
Date posted: February 04, 2010 - 06:57 am
Message: I lived out of town from my parents and when my father died, I returned home for the funeral. In the early evening,after family get together s I returned to my parents home and fell asleep in the guest room. After about 20 minutes I was awakened in extreme distress, gasping for air. My husband rushed me to the hospital for emergency treatment. I later found my parents cat had been sleeping under the guest bed. Had I not had emergency treatment, I would have died. It seems very dangerous to allow cats to roam around a nursing home among people with possible allergies to cats. I love animals, but my body sadly exhibits respiratory distress, wheezing, runny nose, headaches, and can not tolerate cats. Maybe some of the 50 patients also had this problem develop once introduced to exposure to Oscar.