I’ve been outside today – there’s a hint of warmth in the sun. Is it Spring?

I decided it was ideal weather to walk around the lawns picking up twigs and as usual I had my little helpers. Danny Mittens and Babe Cattykins love when anyone comes outside to play with them.

I tried to get a photograph of them together but they move too quickly, I got quite a few pictures of just grass. I wish I had a video camera…

No picture of Stole – she was busy indoors sunbathing on a windowsill.

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Oscar the cat has the uncanny ability to detect when a patient in a nursing home for dementia is about to die.

The cat, who has lived at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation in Providence, Rhode Island since he was a kitten, normally wanders from room to room. But when a patient is hours from death Oscar remains at their bedside. If he is shut out he will scratch at the door until he is allowed in.

Professor David Dosa wrote about a day in the life of Oscar  in The New England Journal of Medicine claiming that Oscar is the cuddlier, feline equivalent of the Grim Reaper.

Dosa says that Oscar’s presence at the bedside of severely ill patients is viewed by doctors and nurses alike as an almost absolute indicator of impending death.

The tale of Oscar is now available in a new book by Professor Dosa which expands on this compelling story.

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Some poor cats will be wearing their Christmas gifts this year as more cat outfits become available.

Many will probably only be on the cat long enough for the photographs (but who can resist). You can put a hat on a cat but you cannot make it wear it.

Cat outfits are more for the amusement of their owners and many of us have been guilty, only you’d better be quick with the camera. Have you ever tried to get a wriggling cat to wear a Santa hat while you take a photograph?

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This paw prints plaque is lovely and should appeal to any cat lovers but it is especially poignant as a memorial to a much missed pet.

• Proudly made in the USA of cast stone
• Dimensions: 9.5 x 14.5
• Weight: 8 lbs
• Includes a hanger cast into the back to allow for easy display on walls, fences, or outbuildings.

It has a sentiment I can certainly agree with – “Cats leave paw prints on our hearts”.

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Babe strolled in the house this morning, missing for three and a half days, looking not too much the worse for wear.

She was a bit nervous and need some comforting. Also very hungry but I didn’t give her too much food all at once, small meals and often, I didn’t want to make her sick.

I had imagined the worst case scenarios but the got best possible outcome - my beautiful Babe is back – couldn’t wait to post the news on Cat-Things and Twitter.

My heart goes out to pet owners whose pet is missing or passed over to the Rainbow Bridge. I shall do an article soon on coping with the grief. I have been using a tapping technique while Babe was lost and found that it helped but more on that later.

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