Posted by Hazel C | 3 Comments

Oscar, The Grim Reaper

Oscar Cat of Death

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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Posted by Hazel C | 0 Comments

Ground Dog Day in Buffalo

It is the “4th Annual Ground Dog Day Open House” from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M on Saturday, January 30 2010 at the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter .

The celebration will be held at the shelter, 380 N. Oak Street, Buffalo, NY, United States. Details about the shelter can be found on Petfinder.

Doing a Punxsutawney Phil, will be LoveJoy Lulu,  a female Chihuahua and former resident of the Buffalo Animal Shelter.

If you are in the area why not join in – you’ll be able to find out if winter will stick around for another six weeks. You’ll also be able to meet the  shelter volunteers and have the opportunity to meet adorably adoptable dogs and cats.

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Posted by Hazel C | 0 Comments

Cat Clothes

Cat in Collar and Tie

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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Posted by Hazel C | 0 Comments

Paw Prints Plaque

Paw Prints Plaque

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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Posted by Hazel C | 0 Comments

The Wanderer Returns

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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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Posted by Hazel C | 0 Comments

Babe is Missing

Babe

I feel totally devastated – my ten month old cat, Babe, went out sometime on Sunday night and we haven’t seen her since.

I know this happens a lot to cat owners and the feelings are mixed between hope and grief. It is early days – she could have taken fright at something and run further away from home than she’s ever been, maybe she can’t find her way back. We have my sister’s dog staying with us and that would be a good motivation for Babe to stay away, she has coped with the dog before but he really worries her.

All different scenarios have been playing in my head and I realise that whatever has happened it is really out of my control. So many pet owners must be in the same situation – it is the not knowing that is the worst thing.

NEWS

Tuesday: Babe still hasn’t been home but my nextdoor neighbour saw her being chased by another neighbour’s dog early yesterday morning. My neighbour chased the dog off and Babe made a run for it. It gives me a little bit of hope that she is still around somewhere – probably waiting until the coast is clear, we have my sister’s dog here until Friday.

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