A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat
Wow, just wow:
Making his way back up the hallway, Oscar arrives at Room 313. The door is open, and he proceeds inside. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing steady but shallow. She is surrounded by photographs of her grandchildren and one from her wedding day. Despite these keepsakes, she is alone. Oscar jumps onto her bed and again sniffs the air. He pauses to consider the situation, and then turns around twice before curling up beside Mrs. K.
One hour passes. Oscar waits. A nurse walks into the room to check on her patient. She pauses to note Oscar's presence. Concerned, she hurriedly leaves the room and returns to her desk. She grabs Mrs. K.'s chart off the medical-records rack and begins to make phone calls.
Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. A young grandson asks his mother, "What is the cat doing here?" The mother, fighting back tears, tells him, "He is here to help Grandma get to heaven." Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices.
A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat, has the uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die, which doctors and nurses use to notify family of their loved ones impending death. Oscar also gives companionship to those without family who would have died alone. (via)
This is the permanent home of A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat. I wrote this post at 18:46 on September 11, 2007. This post is part of grubbykid.com, a weblog. If you liked this entry, why don't you read some other posts such as Another year, another remembrance or Australia, Day 04? Or you could go to the site archives or return home. All are good choices.
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