It has been recently reported that a cat by the name of Oscar who belongs to a Nursing Home in the United States senses when patients are about to die. He has the habit of curling up on patients beds in their final hours and has been correct in 25 cases so far. Staff of the Nursing Home now alert the family of the residents when Oscar lays down with their ailing loved one. Although the families are grateful for the "warning", some wish for Oscar not to be present as they spend time with their loved one in their final hours. When Oscar is put outside the room however, he walks up and down, meowing in protest. The question arises therefore: Are Cats Psychic?

It has been said that cats can predict the weather. I have heard that if they run around in a circle then it is going to rain. As an owner of five cats, I have observed a few things with my feline friends. Occasionally they will stare towards the wall or the door as though someone is standing there. If I put my hand in front of their eyes they immediately move their heads so that they may continue to gaze at whatever they can see. It may well be a fly or a spider but I have never been able to see what it is they are staring at.

Other stories that I have read include a family who had just moved to a new house and their cat would not go into the bathroom. The owner decided to go back to the estate agents to ask them if anything bad had happened in the house before they bought it and was told that the previous owner had drowned in the bath.

Another story I have heard is that a black cat befriended a young woman and would follow her whenever she ventured out of the house. One day as she was walking along the street, the cat leapt at her with such force, knocking her into a shop doorway. Almost immediately an out of control car zoomed by exactly where she had been walking. She never saw the cat again.

Theories are that cats are sensitive to magnetic forces of the earth which cause them to act in different ways. Another theory is that they can sense changes in people’s body chemistry, especially their owners, which cause them to act in different ways towards them - just like Oscar.

Whether cats are psychic or not, the proof is that they have certainly provided comfort to many people over the years.

Copyright 2007 Julie Stone.

I live in Kent, England with my son and five cats and I have enjoyed reading and writing from an early age. My other interests include art, crafts and cooking.

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