Oscar the cat walks the halls of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. He makes rounds, just like the doctors and nurses stopping to observe and sniff the patients and then move on--usually. Sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he jumps up into the bed of a resident and curls up next to them. He somehow knows that this person doesn't have long to live. Doctors and nurses then know that it is time to call the family to come say goodbye to their loved one. Within hours, the patient makes his or her transition.
Oscar has been correct with 25 patients in the two years that he has lived at Steere House. The staff admits that Oscar is better at predicting the impending death of patients than the doctors with all their medical training and technology.
Some people have called Oscar the feline grim reaper. But to me, Oscar is only another example of the amazing power of these beautiful creatures that we humans share this earth with.
I have read about dogs that are able to warn their owners of impending epileptic seizures. There was the courageous mother cat that re-entered a burning building several times, suffering terrible burns, to save her kittens. I have heard countless stories of lost dogs who have traveled thousands of miles and tracked down their owners. There was the story of a dolphin that offered itself up as a sacrifice to a starving sailor adrift on a raft. These are just a few of the countless stories I have heard about animals.
All living things have consciousness and are expressions of God energy. We humans often think of ourselves as superior to our furry, four-legged friends and other creatures. But are we really? When I consider the devastation and destruction that we humans are responsible for on this planet, to our environment and to other humans, I have to wonder.
Today, let us give thanks for the creatures that we share this planet with, both wild and tame. They have much to teach us, if we are willing to learn. They bring us joy, laughter and are loyal friends. They are the angels that come to share our journey through life and, in their own special way, teach us how to love.
I've often wondered how I'd react if Oscar decided to come and sleep with me. I suppose he must do this occasionally with fairly healthy people.
Posted by: Beryl Singleton Bissell | August 02, 2007 at 04:45 PM