Oscar the Therapy Cat

I have been posting a lot of political pieces lately, because the moves the government is making against our freedoms has been so overshadowing. But this story is a welcome change of pace.

Oscar the therapy cat has lived in a nursing home since he was a kitten, and brings great comfort and joy to the residents. Everyone who knows me or follows my blog, knows how I feel about animals, and about cats in particular. Cats have an innate empathy for people who are suffering and they seek to alleviate this suffering through proximity and by the laying on of paws. Not too long ago, I pulled a muscle in my side while transferring out of my wheelchair. It was extremely painful, and I was laying in bed on the opposite side. My cat climbed up on me and placed her front paws directly on the epicenter of the pain. The pain actually increased sharply, but I continued to lay there as my cat pressed down. After about five minutes she climbed off and I could immediately feel the pain ebb slowly away.

It came as no surprise to me when I read the story about this remarkable animal, but confirmed what I believed all along. The following is a quote from that story:

Oscar could always sense when one of the residents at the nursing home where he lived was near death and would sit quietly on their bed during their last moments. One relative of two sisters who died in the nursing home said of Oscar’s vigil, “Oscar’s presence gave a sense of completion and contentment. Both women loved pets. Oscar brought a special serenity to the room. What’s more peaceful than a purring cat? What sound more beautiful to fill one’s ears when leaving this life?”

For the complete story about Oscar, start by visiting the Wikipedia link below, and then any of the other articles on the internet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_(therapy_cat)

Oscar