Mystery cat link or furry killer?

[karrie]

Isn't it ignoring the fact to claim this cat is out to comfort people and that it must be affectionate and not the aloof stereotypical cat.

It flat out tells you in the article it hates all the patients, does not want or give affection and only shows up when they (the people it dislikes) are about to die.

You love your kitty, thats great, but transferance much?

My cat will end up clawing you if you try to hold him (as he tries to get purchase with his back legs to jump away). He is 'aloof'. He avoids people unless it is CLEAR they are not going to try to hold him in any way, and then he will allow a slight scratch, or from a very few people, a belly rub.

It doesn't mean he wouldn't show up to try to comfort someone he saw as his family, just because he wasn't snuggly with them.

*shrugs* without seeing it ourselves, deciding either way is kind of silly, isn't it? It just seems odd that a cat who hates people would tolerate snuggling up in a room that it knows will soon be swarming with people.

 

[Twila]

the article states:

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

not

It flat out tells you in the article it hates all the patients, does not want or give affection and only shows up when they (the people it dislikes) are about to die.

He does his rounds on the dementia unit. Ever been to a dementia unit? Ever dealt with the elderly during a violent episode?

 

[Blackleaf]

What's the story behind this one?

Those people who were involved in a plane crash in the Andes in 1972 - as depicted in the movie "Alive" - were Uruguayan rugby players, not "soccer" players.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Has anyone who has had contact with this cat survived beyond 4 hours? Maybe he is slightly toxic to those with beaten down imune systems. So his visit to a sick person proves to be the last straw.

 

[karrie]

Has anyone who has had contact with this cat survived beyond 4 hours? Maybe he is slightly toxic to those with beaten down imune systems. So his visit to a sick person proves to be the last straw.

4 hours wouldn't be enough time for you to die from something the cat gave you. Cats are nasty and carry all sorts of gross, infectious bacteria (gee, can you tell I've been attacked before and live with the scars from the infection?), but it takes longer than that for it to cause problems which would lead to death, even in an immune compromised person.

 

[Twila]

cats are nasty and carry all sorts of gross, infectious bacteria (gee, can you tell I've been attacked before and live with the scars from the infection?)

cat scratch fever?

 

[karrie]

cat scratch fever?

necrotizing fasciitis from a severe cat bite. It took a host of steroids and antibiotics to get it under control. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as some. Cat bites can be extremely disfiguring.

 

[Pangloss]

That's absurd. built into them, sheesh! next you'll tell us how they suck the breath out of babies!

Maybe not - but they do poop in headphones!

Pangloss