Animals Do Amazing Things

As if we haven't seen all the videos on the television and youtube. I'll never forget the cat that was on its back asleep on the top of the tv and rolled off or the dog that jumps up at the wrong time leading to the poor guy rolling on the floor in a fetal position. Then there is the dog who doesn't have any front legs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLXHvBFG-CI. You have to see it to believe it. Dogs and cats do more than just tricks or have outstanding personalities.

Many of us know that animals are very good at predicting storms. Did you know that they have been known to predict earthquakes as well. Dogs are now being trained as seizure alarms for epileptics. How cool is that? Almost as cool as handicap assistance dogs that are trained for years before they are placed.

I'm sure you know about drug dogs and bomb dogs. Did you know that dogs and even cats can sometimes smell cancer? I've never seen it in real life but I've watched them on tv and I've heard stories. You hear loads of cool pet stories in a veterinary clinic.

The latest amazing animal I found in a veterinary news magazine. A cat named Oscar. Oscar lives in the dementia wing of a nursing home. Every day Oscar has his own patient rounds. He visits each patient whether they know it or not, scans them, and decides whether to curl up on or near them. If he leaves shortly after arriving, they will not die that day. If Oscar decides to stay, that person will pass on 30 minutes to 4 hours. The nurses call the family of that person and they come to be with them as they depart. Not many articles bring tears to my eyes (a long story that involved a lot of teasing when I was a child) and if anybody would like to read and have a good cry, stop by the clinic sometime and I'll pull out the magazine. There isn't a link, I looked.

Caring for pets and having pets caring for you has been shown to help us live longer, healthier, and happier lives. I wouldn't live without a pet. I had an apartment for two years and was so lonely without a pet that I broke the rules and got a cat. I was a much happier person after that.

Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend!