The end is nigh

We had a cat "working" in our Palliative Care Unit who seemed to have
the same prescience around dying people and would enter the rooms of
patients and was seen to be on their beds on the day before they died. We
found that it was a high predictor of imminent death as well. However
after a while we became concerned about it developing agressive behaviour
towards relatives and we organised its "retirement" to the care of our
receptionist. Within a week catlike behaviour began to return and it
spent a happy time chasing birds and sunning itself without having to do
rounds.
I would would suggest that, before all hospices run off to get a cat to
help in their prognostication, some thought need be given to the mental
welfare of the cat.

Competing interests:
None declared