Cat’s Rants: Confessions of an Occult Mastermind

Everything you ever wanted to know about Hoodoo, Rootwork, or the Occult! The internet’s longest running occult blog, established 2004

  • Hey all,

    Apparently I hurt some feelings by asking that people not put me in the position of discussing my job on a forum as I can’t ethically defend, confirm, or deny, or agree with any cases due to the fact that I can’t disclose anything about any of my clients.

    There are also liability issues regarding where and who I let advertise me which is why I choose to only be advertised via my blog and by word of mouth.

    So, in an effort for all the clients who poured in who are frightened to speak up in the forum, and those of you who did speak in my defense (because you understand,) please know that I am really sorry if I hurt your feelings, and that I love and value all of you a great deal. You know I love recommendations… and I did go over this reasoning before in another post.

    As for the members of that group, I actually was really enjoying speaking with you all and sharing ideas about Hoodoo because I love Hoodoo. Up until I apparently ruffled feathers, I was really happy to have found such a fun group, and I’m sorry my presence there was so brief… I was just going through my referrers and was curious, and lo and behold there was a seemingly cool group to belong to. I do apologize if my refusal to discuss my clients, my business, or the personal details thereof in an effort to protect the privacy of those who employ me was somehow misconstrued as a negative thing or a slam against people present within the forum. Much like a lawyer I am bound to NOT discuss the details of my business, and I furthermore do not promote myself in anyone’s forum. I do appreciate everything which was said about me before the rant about me being a big ol dogface egotistical monster, so please know I adore you standing up for me, and you get a big hug.

    Again, I have no hard feelings with anyone…. And I’ve enjoyed reading what you all wrote after the intial excuse me you big egotistical rootworker rant…well, that one was a good one, too. πŸ˜‰

    Thank you all for your unlimited support as always. I am truly blessed to have so many of you read my blog and in some cases use my services. You all mean so very much to me. I love you all.

    Blessings,

    ~Cat

    PS- I found this group by checking the REFERRERS (which is part of every TypePad account, where I can view the last page on you viewed before coming here) in my blog. I’ve read this conversation, and that should satisfy your curiousity. LOL!

  • Happy Birthday goes out to my gorgeous little nephew, who turns one! You are a such a cute baby, and when you smell, are grouchy, or just a royal pain in the ol’ butt, I can hand you back to my sister! It just makes the bestest baby ever! πŸ˜‰ (Says Cat who is only an adoptive mom to her dog.) Enjoy this pic of the most spoilt baby boy (since Cat and her brother have not yet reproduced, and Cat’s sister has only made one baby,) in July/August. SO CUTE!!

    Littlealex

    Love you, nephew!!

    ~Cat

  • Hey Occulties,

    Here is the obligatory notice regarding my giveaway – if you haven’t asked a question, you want to do so NOW…so learn more about it by clicking here! πŸ˜€

    Moving on to some new business…

    As many of you know, the vast majority of questions posed to me revolve around LOVE… Particularly love for an ex and how to get that love back. :S So, today, in honor of me NOT wanting to discuss getting someone back for the millionth time, we are gonna focus on making YOU loveable. πŸ˜€ See, then if you want that ex of yours back, you are a super-hot commodity…and THEN you go about spellcasting on that ex of yours, eh?

    Ah, well, if you are dissappointed in my spell choice you can at least feign excitement.

    And NO this is not a spell on how to get your ex back….seriously folks, with the amount of requests I get regarding that topic, I’m gonna have to do an article on HOW NOT TO MAKE YOUR LOVER YOUR EX IN THE FIRST PLACE, because that is really key – if you don’t get yourself dumped (and its 50/50 as to who really made their own problem in the “I want that person back,” department,) you won’t need a spell to get your ex back…but today we are NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT IT – no gimme back my ex stuff for you. Nope, no way. πŸ˜‰

    So, are we ready to get sexy? Yeah? Good. Let’s bring sexyback. πŸ˜‰

    You will need:

    Juniper berries (dried, crushed,)
    Lemongrass
    Cinammon
    Come to Me oil (genuine – DO NOT GET THE CRAPPY INDIO STUFF OR CHEAP STUFF – Optional substitutions are “Kiss me Quick,” “Fast Luck,” or “Attraction” oils)
    Sexual Fluids from yourself (semen, vaginal secretions/menstrual blood – menses is best for the ladies to use,)
    A pin
    Scrap paper from a brown paper bag,
    A red pen
    A black pen
    A red taper candle
    A fireproof container suchas a pie plate or cake tin
    A brass candle holder

    Prep: Using a mortar and pestle (or lacking that a bowl and metal mixing spoon,) grind up your juniper berries, lemongrass leaves, and cinnamon to as fine a powder as possible. Set aside.

    Take your red candle and hold this in both of your hands while envisioning yourself as your sexiest possible self. If you can send energy (if you know how,) try to “see” and “feel” red and pink energy flowing into the candle while keeping this image of yourself in your minds’ eye. If you can’t send energy, just keep the image of “your sexiest self” in your minds eye for a few moments while holding the candle. Now, using your pin, carve “(Your full name,) is irresistably sexy to all those around him/her,” UP (base to wick,) the candle along one side.

    Sexsexsex_4

    Now the fun part…heh heh… Its time to get down and dirty with yourself. That’s right, your friend Cat wants you to masturbate. I know you like doing it (everyone does,) so get it on with yourself, and while doing so try to keep a mental image of you being the most sexiest human being and the absolute object of desire. As you reach climax, this is when it is MOST IMPORTANT to have that mental image. When you have completed this act (by reaching orgasm,) take your semen or vaginal fluids (depending on whether you were blessed with a penis or a vagina,) and using your “power hand” (the hand you write with,) place a few drops of Come to Me oil into the sexual fluids (if you need to put the sexual fluids into your power hand because you prefer self-love with the other hand, this is fine,) and now take the Come to Me/covered in love-gravy hand and anoint the candle with seven pulls UP (base to wick,) on the candle. Roll the candle into your herbal mixture so that the herbal mixture sticks to the candle. Its doesn’t need to be coated, but there should be some of the herbal stuff on your candle. Place the candle into the candle holder. If you need to, you may secure the candle to the holder using some wax drippings.

    Go wash your hands.

    Now that you have cleaned yourself up (and had a cigarette and held yourself, and whatever else you do,) get out your piece of paper bag, and make sure all the edges are torn (not cut.) Take your black pen and write out your name 9 times, like this:
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe
    Then turn the paper so that the names are running vertically (up and down,) and, using your RED pen, write across your name 9 times (in the same fashion as above,) “Irresistably sexy to all.” I normally spit into the center of the paper here and add a pinch of the herbal mixture, but if you are really into having your ejaculate on everything you can wipe the paper on part of the base of your candle to get the sex fluid goodies, herb mix and come to me oils onto the paper…the choice is yours. πŸ˜‰ Now, fold the paper in half towards you, and fold it in half again towards you. Place this beneath your candle holder.

    The spell: If you have not lit the candle, do so now. Hold both of your hands on either side of the candle and say, “I, (your full name,) am irresistably sexy to all who see me, irresistably sexy to all who hear me, irresistably sexy to all who touch me, irresistably sexy to all who taste me, and irresistably sexy to all who so much as smell me. My charm, my magnetism, and my desirability draw people to me like bees to honey – as is my will, so be it!”

    Now allow the candle to burn all of the way out. After it does, take your name paper and either inter this near or beneath your front door step, or failing that, bury it in your back yard.

    Enjoy the attention you sexy beast, you! πŸ™‚

    Best,

    ~Cat

  • Hey Occulties,

    Keep those awesome questions coming for eligibility in my giveaway!!

    Anyhow, new business, lol…

    From what I’ve gathered, everyone needs a money spell. I deduced this because I have had a week (last week,) where everyone (clients, friends, family, loved ones,) basically tried to grab my ankles, turn me upside down, and see if money or free things came out. Much to their dismay (and though I am being figurative – no one has literally shook me upside down,) only a few balls of lint came out of my pockets… In fact (*peers into wallet*) I have 3 ATM receipts and what looks to be a dead leaf or something in there. Hmm.

    Since if you are asking your friend Cat for cash, you really really need some (I normally have about 3 ATM receipts and a ball of lint in my wallet because I don’t often carry cash,) I will impart the money spell. πŸ˜‰

    You will need:
    Lemongrass,
    Wintergreen,
    Cinnamon,
    Green thread,
    Wintergreen gum (a few pieces,)
    A medium lodestone,
    Magnetic sand,
    A piece of paper money (you choose the denomination,)
    Money-drawing oil,
    A witness sample – aka a small picture or personal item (hair, fingernail, blood,) belonging to the person who the spell is to be cast on,
    A scrap of brown paper bag,
    A green pen,
    A black pen,
    A small green sack.

    Littlelords

    Using a mortar and pestle (or failing that, a small bowl with a spoon,) grind up equal parts (about 1-2 tsp,) your wintergreen, lemongrass, and cinnimon to the finest powder possible. Set aside. Using your black pen, write your name paper out writing your name (or that of the person the spell is being cast on,) nine times, like this:
    John Doe
    John Doe
    John Doe (x6 more times,) on your piece of paper bag. Turn the paper one quarter turn so that the names are running up and down and write across this with your green pen (also 9x in the same fashion as above,) “Money come to me.” Spit into the center of the scrap paper, add a pinch of your herbal mixture and your witness sample into the center of the paper, and fold the paper in half towards you. Fold it in half again, also towards you. Place this on your altar or a table where it will not be disturbed and place your piece of paper money over it, and then the lodestone atop the paper money. Sprinkle more of your herbal mix over the lodestone, and then cover it in magnetic dust until it appears “hairy.”

    For the next seven days, pray sincerely for money. If you do not have any religious faith, simply sincerely ask for money as if you are requesting it from the lodestone. I am not going to tell you who to worship or how, but if you would like a sample prayer (your own ad libbed one is better, but I might as well put one in now or forever be asked for one, lol,) here is one you could use…as non-denominational as I can be, here, too. πŸ˜‰

    I pray that money be drawn to me as if by a magnetic force. Wherever I go, I have money in my pockets. I have all I ever need or ever want for I am a money magnet…so mote it be.

    As I said before, your own genuine ad libbed prayer is better, but…you can use mine if you entirely lack creativity. πŸ˜‰

    After each daily prayer, feed your lodestone a little more magnetic dust.

    After 7 days, pop a few sticks of wintergreen gum into your mouth, and while chewing, place your name paper between the paper money and lodestone, and wrap them together using your bill. Attempt to make a rough “ball shape,” and then, using your chewed gum, slowly wrap the gum around the money, so as to hold the whole kit and caboodle together. It may take 3 pieces or so, and definitely a whole pack of 5 will do the trick. πŸ˜‰ Now, holding this sticky mess, place the beginning of your spool of green thread and attempt to wrap the entire ball in this green thread, wrapping CLOCKWISE. I usually use the whole spool of thread. When the end of the spool is reached, take the end and make a small loop in it so it has the appearance of a ball on a little string. As this may come detatched, please do your best to make sure the thread is both embedded in the gum as well as the loop is secure.

    Now take this ball and swirl in clockwise four times while chanting, “Money come to me, money come to me,” about 4x (one for each swirl.) When you have done this, place the jack ball into the sack, and give it a pinch of magnetic dust for “food.”

    Every time you wish to ask for more money, repeat the process of swirling the jackball about in a clockwise motion 4x, saying your chant, and then feeding it with the magnetic dust.

    Feed your jackball at least 1 time a moon cycle (each 28 days,) or whenever you take it out to work for you. When you are not using the jackball, keep it hidden where it will not be disturbed.

    One word here…I’ve noticed the gum can cause my lodestones not to “eat enough,” and that this jackball isn’t as strong as a root jack ball because it doesn’t get enough food (it can’t absorb it well through the gum.) I recommend disposing of this item every 6 months or so and creating a new one. πŸ™‚

    Alrighty…hopefully this will slow the money requests down, lol…but then again, most people who asked me for some don’t practice Hoodoo, so probably not. πŸ˜‰

    Best,

    ~Cat

    ***Note, this post was edited Sept 14, 2007 to replace one of the (apparently next-to-impossible-to-locate) ingredients with the herb lemongrass.***

    All spells and articles are copyright Cat, and may not be copied, pasted, used or reprinted without my express permission. Failure to get my express permission will be considered plagurism or just downright stealing, and I will personally send a terrifying entity to you known as my lawyer.

  • Hey occulties and avid readers,

    I need some fresh and new questions for the Cat’s Rants site. I get a lot of them daily, but several are the same thing… Like “Do spells backfire?” I think I’ve answered that no, spells do not backfire, several times this year, lol. πŸ˜‰ So… don’t ask me if spells backfire or what I mean by thinking a spell to death, and your question will not only probably show up on the Cat’s Rants blog, (ie right here,) but you could also win a free half-hour reading with me or a free spell…. I realize it isn’t the best prize in the world like a car, but it does have a value of almost $50 USD, so, lol…not bad, right? Right. πŸ˜‰

    Limit one entry per person, void where prohibited. πŸ™‚

    Questions regarding the giveaway do not count as entries, and please contact me (Cat,) here by clicking this link should you have questions about the giveaway. Contest ends 11:59 EST Sept 30, 2007. One grand prize winner will be picked on October 2, 2007 by me (Cat,) and will be announced to the winner Oct 3. The winning question will appear as the first in a Questions You’ve Asked Me article on October 5, 2007.

    Please enter by emailing me your question HERE.

    Questions left on the “comments” section in the blog will be deleted, and must be emailed to qualify.

    PHEW….that was a mouthful. Now let’s get a new and FRESH questions you’ve asked me article in during the month of October. Thanks everyone!

    ~Cat

    Added 9/7/07… to my spammers in Carbondale, Illinois and Milton, Ontario Canada…or near abouts… I see you…and I block you… >:)

  • I go over this 2-3 times a year, but here goes…

    Your comments are read by me 3-4 times a week. They are all public.

    Welcome comments are those which are observations/comments regarding the article, or questions regarding the article.

    Unwelcome comments are spam-ads, or smart-ass remarks. I don’t mind humor, but I do mind humor poked at other commenting people, or making fun of people’s issues, etc.

    All comments which are of a personal nature (ie you are asking me for help on a personal problem,) will be removed from the blog, and will be responded to privately. Please DO NOT post your personal problems for the entire world wide web to see on my blog. Your comments ARE NOT private, and ARE NOT emailed to me. Sometimes I don’t log in to my blog for over a week, which means I do not even see your comment for a LONG TIME, and I am NOT AWARE of it.

    Thank you,

    ~Cat

  • Hey all,

    If there are questions I’ve answered repeatedly (in my blog, in email, on the phone,) these must be them. πŸ˜‰ I’m going to try to include a few new ones so as not to bore my long-time readers…but unfortunately my newbie readers don’t tend to like scanning the archives, (lol,) so for the long-term clients, forgive the review. πŸ˜‰

    Q: Do spells backfire?

    A: As per my answer here in November 2006, see the first question, spells do not backfire. A spell isn’t a gun…its not even ruled by physics. A spell will never do the OPPOSITE of what you want…it may manifest unpleasantly, or it may fizzle and not manifest, but it never backfires.

    Q: What do you mean by “thinking your spell to death,” and why is this wrong?

    A: My best answer is here, read the first Q and A. Its long, its detailed, and I send people to read it every day. πŸ˜‰

    Remember, fast spell manifestation requires faith in your work! πŸ˜‰ If you are constantly doubting your work by crossing off the days and hours since you cast the spell, or by thinking about how the end result will manifest, you are not doing yourself any favors. Watched pots never boil, and worried spells take forever to manifest. :S

    Bejing

    Q: How long do spells take to manifest?

    A: It depends on several factors, so there is no concrete answer. I’ve had my own work that I’ve done for myself take almost 90 days – although I’m a strong believer in spell reinforcement every 28 or so days until in manifests (or more than 3 months pass,) spell manifestation can take 90 days to work. I’ve even had cases (personal and business,) where the spell target was affected (strongly, in fact,) and the petioner was unaware of the effect for an amount of time after the spell had already begun to manifest. :S

    Often, spells take about 21-28 days to take effect, however, again depending on the spell, the practioner and/or petioner may not SEE the results immediately.

    Before you decide for yourself that a spell has “failed,” take into account the mundane factors which could effect the outcome. If you are trying to get an ex back, was the break up particularly bad, or are you both now living a larger distance apart? Could this be a factor in this person not making contact with you? I’ve seen more than one case where when an ex did return after taking their sweet time doing so, they reported to the petioner that they had been thinking ceaselessly about coming to the petioner but were worried that the time and distance between the two of them was “too much,” so they resisted the urge to call.

    Also, take into account your own actions and behavior towards your spell target or spell goal. If you want a success spell to work, you need to go out and actively persue success – you can’t hide in your house with the phone off of the hook and assume a vortex will open up and drop success into your lap, lol, instead you need to HELP the spell by giving it opportunities to manifest (ie persuing success,) OR if you are trying to get an ex back…are you fighting with this person? Calling them? Acting crazy? Remember, winning a person back is similar to winning them over in the first place.

    Orchids

    Q: I read your guidelines on choosing a legit psychic – but then when I chose a spellcaster/psychic, their spell failed? Was I scammed?

    A: Not knowing the spellcaster or seeing the site you bought services from, I can’t say…because SPELL FAILURE IS NOT A SIGN OF BEING SCAMMED. I would use my articles to help you as guidelines, but I would need to hear the case story to gauge if your spell failed or was not cast. :S I’m hoping to print an article on going through the spellwork process as a client, and what to expect in the next few months, so stay tuned. πŸ˜€ But in the meantime, your spell not working is a sign of spell failure, not a near-to-definite sign of being “scammed.”

    Q: Why are you the originalninjacat?

    A: I chose the email handle theoriginalninjacat in 1997, as, when I was in college, “NinjaCat,” was a term of endearment for me among many of my friends. After I’d graduated school and was speaking on many of the email groups on Yahoo, many people began referring to me as “The NinjaCat,” or “NinjaCat,” because of my email addy, and this stuck… It wasn’t really my intention to go through life with the professional name of NinjaCat, but considering my familliar name is Cat, and my maiden last name is an English word, its no worse that posting my real name as far as “silliness,” goes… And people know me by this title, and have sought me out by it and identified me by it for more than a decade, lol…I’m afraid I’m stuck with it.

    I’ve seen some people have posted over and over about how “I wouldn’t bother with someone with such a weird name,” in spellcaster “discussion” (scamsites and bashing sites, mostly,) forums, but that usually makes me laugh – you’d not hire me, but Lady Velvetsocks at YouWantYourExMySpellWillGettimBack.com (fictuous creation on the site there – at least I hope, haha,) is okay for you. πŸ˜‰ Oh-kee… and my name and my site are weird? Hmmm. πŸ˜‰

    Vizousler

    So the short answer is that it was a college joke name that stuck. I’m sure you have the fat friend called slim or the tall friend called tiny, or etc. πŸ˜‰ Well, I got to be stuch with the NinjaCat.

    Q: I didn’t inter my name papers until a few hours after the spellcandles had burned out – is my spell OK?

    A: Yes. You do not need to inter your name papers immediately. Although I’d recommend interring them in the first 24 hours after you’ve cast the spell, due to inclement weather, I’ve actually interred name papers 3 days after spell completion, and my spell worked. πŸ™‚

    Okay, that’s all for today, folks. πŸ˜€

    ~Cat

    All information on this site, except where noted, is copyright the originalninjacat, and cannot be copied (or copied and pasted,) posted, transmitted or shared off this site without my express permission. This means you. Failure to comply will force me to send Goetic entities and bad things to you like my lawyer. This is my original work and I don’t like copy-NinjaCats!

  • Happy Anniversary! On this day in 1969, with Mom all gorgeous and 22 and in a dress fit for a princess, you both had absolutely no clue you’d have made 3 lovely angelic (demonic hellspawn) children throughout the seventies, or that, for that matter, that you would have made it this far together for all these years. Hope there is another 37+ years ahead for both of you, and that the best is yet to come! I love you both!

    Love,

    The Bubba

  • Hey everyone,

    As some of my clients may have noticed, I’ve been receiving a lot of requests lately and I am super busy. The thing is I’ve been receiving a lot of business from a certain psychic’s forum. However, therein lies the sole conflict I have… I do not want anyone advertising my name or email in another psychic’s forum, so if you wish to share referrals, please do so OFF the forum. Its an ethical concern – I know there has been some speaking of me on the forum, and I just have an ethical conflict with promotions for me on someone else’s site, whether or not she minds it. :S If she does mind it, she’s not said anything, but its conflicting to me when I know she works harder and longer than most people in the biz… I do like this psychic (as I’ve told many of you,) and I don’t really wish to create any friction because excited folks are advertising my services on another’s site.

    Today, I was a bit amused to read people disagreeing with my advice against killing your whole spell by dreaming it to death. I’m not a “manifester,” (I use spells to manifest things, not just affirmations and Shakti Gawain esque stuff,) and “manifesting,” can work appropriately with spellwork if you do it properly…which apparently many of the people there don’t. πŸ˜‰ Alright, I’d say its my opinion, but I’ve been doing spellwork and working with spirits and the occult since before I knew I was interacting with spirits and being a little baby occult-freak. πŸ˜‰ And NO you can’t manifest the how…at least not a “play by play” of it… LOL. However, if you want an opinion for someone who knows NOT to read anything published by the great misinformation house known as Llewellyn, and someone who knows from EXPERIENCE, then by all means, please contact me rather than debating about me on a forum, okay? πŸ˜‰ If I am really so scary, and you don’t wish to contradict me in person rather than when I am probably not reading what you have to say (I love debates, and would enjoy hearing some contradiction from time to time,) then by all means, keep chatting about me. πŸ˜‰

    Anyhow, as bemused as I was to find myself a topic of debate (a rather pleasant debate, too,) I feel bad when I am being spoken of as a referrable option ON another person’s site. Its a bit like going onto the Pepsi site and plugging Coca-Cola products, lol! Please, from here on out, if you want to refer folks my way (which is totally cool, and I really LOVE YOU for bringing me some referrals, because that is the ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT!!) please just say, “I know someone, and I’d be happy to give you a referral off-list.” I know this is probably how it is being done (I couldn’t locate an actual link to my site while making sure there wasn’t one,) but please DO NOT directly advertise Originalninjacat.com on someone else’s psychic/spell site. You may advertise this blog as it is a spellcasting advice blog, but please do not outright advertise originalninjacat.com by name.

    Thanks everyone…and before you ask, no I am not mad at any of you, lol, this is just me saying this now before it gets out of hand. πŸ™‚

    ~Cat

  • Hey all, just wanted to share this interesting story about a nursing home kitty who apparently predicts who is going to die… Thanks to the Associated Press for this story:

    By RAY HENRY, Associated Press Writer
    Thu Jul 26, 4:27 AM ET

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

    Oscar_the_cat

    “He doesn’t make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die,” said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

    “Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one,” said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

    The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses.

    After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He’d sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.

    Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. “This is not a cat that’s friendly to people,” he said.

    Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill

    She was convinced of Oscar’s talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn’t eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

    Oscar wouldn’t stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor’s prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient’s final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

    Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don’t know he’s there, so patients aren’t aware he’s a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

    No one’s certain if Oscar’s behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

    Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has read Dosa’s article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.

    If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it’s also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said.

    Nursing home staffers aren’t concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying.

    Oscar recently received a wall plaque publicly commending his “compassionate hospice care.”

    ___

    Science writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

    ___

    On the Net:

    New England Journal of Medicine: http://content.nejm.org/

    Hope you enjoyed this off-beat story. πŸ˜€

    See also the link to it by clicking here.

    Best,

    ~Cat