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.
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.
I wonder if you put the dying person in a box whether Oscar would be able to tell if they were dead or alive.
[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.
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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.
[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.
[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:
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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.
[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:
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Cat’s Eye , anyone?
Isn’t there some old folk superstition regarding cats stealing the breath of people? This would explain how it came about.
[QUOTE=BJMoose]
Isn’t there some old folk superstition regarding cats stealing the breath of people? This would explain how it came about.
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That’s what I was talking about @62. Sucking the breath out of babies.
1/sqrt(2) each.