# Oscar the grim reaper kitty **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164 "2007-07-25T23:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/61 "2007-07-27T16:12:44Z")
Personally, I can’t think of anything that would make my death more pleasant than having Oscar wander in to spend some quality time with me. (I’m a sap for cats.) Unfortunately, it sounds like most of his marks aren’t even aware of his presence. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/62 "2007-07-27T16:17:21Z")
I remember an old Southern wives’ tale that you had to keep cats away from sleeping babies because the cat would climb on the baby’s chest and “suck the air out” of the kid. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/63 "2007-07-27T16:58:09Z")
I wonder if you put the dying person in a box whether Oscar would be able to tell if they were dead or alive. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/64 "2007-07-27T17:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=Caricci] It was particularly interesting that, on one occasion, he was made to leave and paced and fussed outside the door of the dying person. There could be many theories about what’s going on with Oscar, but I really can’t see how the fussing outside the door could fit into any of them. [/QUOTE] Providence? Isn’t that Lovecraft territory? We know what Oscar’s fussing about- “Drats! Another soul has escaped my paws.” Is there also the sound of whipporwils? Btw- that is one cute cat. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/65 "2007-07-27T17:49:48Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I actually sent them mine before they put that one up. [/QUOTE] Theirs had me laughing for about 10 minutes. Yours put me on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/66 "2007-07-27T18:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] . . . Maybe there’s some kind of subtle odor released by someone dying like that, which starts hours before death. And apparently it’s pleasant to his nose! :eek: [/QUOTE] Cats don’t only purr when they’re happy. They purr whenever they want to attract or provide contact. I’ve only held a few injured cats, but they’ve all been purring. The vet said it wasn’t unusual. (The first was a kitten with a broken hip and a compound break to one femur. I was surprised at the purr.) I’m guessing that he’s providing support to someone that he perceives to be needing it, rather than just enjoying a smell. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/67 "2007-07-27T19:37:28Z")
[QUOTE=5que] I remember an old Southern wives’ tale that you had to keep cats away from sleeping babies because the cat would climb on the baby’s chest and “suck the air out” of the kid. [/QUOTE] Hey, I resent the ‘old’ part. :mad: 😉 [QUOTE=harmless] ‘Curls up next to’ or ‘sits on their chests breathing deeply’? :dubious: [/QUOTE] [Cat’s Eye](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088889/) , anyone? ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/68 "2007-07-27T20:57:08Z")
[Death Cat Begins Gonzales Vigil](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/7/27/121636/772) ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/69 "2007-07-28T00:27:15Z")
Isn’t there some old folk superstition regarding cats stealing the breath of people? This would explain how it came about. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/70 "2007-07-28T02:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=BJMoose] Isn’t there some old folk superstition regarding cats stealing the breath of people? This would explain how it came about. [/QUOTE] That’s what I was talking about @62. Sucking the breath out of babies. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164/71 "2007-07-28T03:22:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I wonder if you put the dying person in a box whether Oscar would be able to tell if they were dead or alive. 1/sqrt(2) each. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-the-grim-reaper-kitty/413164.md?page=3)