Kitty of doom!!!!!

[MadBeaver]

"Oscar has been at Steere House for two years, during which he's settled down beside 25 old timers shortly before they passed away."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07...sing_home_cat/

This cat wouldn't live long around me.

[Aardpsymon]

well, dogs can smell cancer.....that is quite cool though.

[oofki]

dogs can what? Ive never heard of such a thing.. do you have an article on that?

[nihil]

Hi oofki,

Try this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in665263.shtml

[Aardpsymon]

I can't find the link to the article I had in mind but the basic point is that when a cell becomes cancerous its chemical processing changes significantly. This means it smells different. One woman in the story had her dog constantly nipping at a mole on her leg which turned out to be skin cancer.

As a result they are working on an artificial nose that can detect some forms of cancer, notably lung cancer. Built as a strip covered in about 60 different indicator chemicals, it would be cheaper and much less invasive than current techniques and perhaps even more sensetive to detect cancer earlier.

[nihil]

Hi Aard~,

It isn't that strange when you think about it. Dogs have a sense of smell many times that of humans. It is commonplace to see them used to detect drugs and explosives these days, and we still deploy tracker dogs.

Cats also have a much better developed sense of smell than we do, although I have my own theory on this one.

Humans emanate some sort of electrochemical "aura". It would not surprise me if this changed significantly when the person was about to die of natural causes. I guess this cat can sense that. This is no more mystical than your TV or radio picking up interference.

The more surprising thing to me is that the cat shows any interest in an event that is commonplace in an old folks home, and does not involve its owners/food providers.

[Aardpsymon]

well, what suprises me is not that they can do it, but as you say - that they care. (Both the cat and the dogs).

I mean, this dog nipping at the woman's mole....yes, I imagine the dog would have no trouble smelling the difference but why it would feel the need to "attack" this little smelly patch of skin.

But its mostly interesting for the idea of a lung cancer breath test.

[nihil]

Yes Aard~,

I can understand dogs more in this scenario as they are "pack animals" and have a clear social structure, into which they seem to insert their human family.

Also dogs are susceptible to cancer, so might have some sort of instinct in the matter?

IIRC they used to use beagles in cancer/smoking research way back in the 1960/70s?

[MadBeaver]

Some say the cat is evil.

I don't see it.

[oofki]

/scared