Furry Grim Reaper?

There's an AP story out of Providence, R.I., about a cat who lives in a nursing home that may be able to predict which of the residents there are about to die. (There's also an NBC News video segment on Oscar and a photo gallery of him at the Boston Globe.) According to Dr. David M. Dosa in a New England Journal of Medicine article, the cat cuddles up to them in their final hours. Although it's rather freaky if true, I hope that I have a feline companion curled up next to me in my final hours. Of course, maybe these residents are just the ones who are deathly allergic to cats!

Cats Adopting Puppies

I read two stories on MSNBC today about mama cats who adopted puppies:

• A nursing mama cat in Pennsilvania took in the neighbor's pug puppy when the runt was rejected by its own mother. Hopefully, someone will bottle-feed the puppy because it'll get too big to get its nourishment from the mother cat; not to mention put her kittens at risk of not getting enough. But, this is a very heart-warming story of cross-species neighborly love with a cute photo.
• This one's a bit more odd: A woman in Brazil claims that her cat gave birth to both kittens and puppies! They're running tests on the "puppies," but I'm sure they'll turn out to be 100% dog. No doubt, like the first story, they're also neighborhood puppies adopted by this mama cat. To me, it's just interesting that this woman's claim that her cat was impregnated by a dog is not being dismissed out of hand as impossible. UPDATE: Tests prove puppies aren't part cat.

If you are thinking of a new puppy
then consider dog adoption while
you are choosing a dog before
buying from a pet shop.

Cat's in the pink despite color change

There's a story that has been picked up by several UK media outlets about a once-white cat who came home pink one afternoon. I'm sure the only reason this has become such big news is the cute pictures. He looks a bit like he's been dipped in Easter egg coloring, or more likely, rolled around in a slightly damp red towel on his walk around the neighborhood. (The story's popularity might also have to do with the funny headlines possible. Check out Google's list of pink cat stories to find some I don't think would be used in more conservative US newspapers.) Check out the different stories because they each have different cute photos of him:

• 2005 SEP 05. Cat in the pink over new colour. BBC News, UK.


• Richard Savill. 2005 SEP 05. The cat that turned pink. Telegraph.co.uk, UK.


• Author. 2005 SEP 06. White cat turns pink. Ananova, UK.

Leave a comment: Why do you think Brumas turned pink?