It’s not only black cats that get a bad rep, cats have historically been associated with death and the afterlife. But can they tell when someone’s going to die?
Rumours have circulated for centuries about cats and their link to death. Some see them as an omen of death whilst others believe they can predict when someone is going to die.
Cats, and death in different cultures
The history of cats and their affiliation with death has gone back centuries, even back to the Ancient Egyptians. It’s well known that cats were seen as noble figures within Ancient Egypt. Whilst they were physically valued for keeping pests away from food supply, they were also symbolically valued as protection and a guide into the afterlife. Many Gods of this time were also represented in the form of cats, Bastet, Mafdet and Sekhmet, they were overall seen as a positive force to the Egyptians and, whilst seen as a sign of the afterlife, were valued for their connection.
Much European Folklore also leans into the idea that cats can be a symbol of death, however, it takes on a much more negative light than that of the Ancient Egyptians. Black cats were portrayed as an omen of death, a superstition that still remains to this day and can be attributed to the rise in black cat deaths around Halloween time. Along with the suspicion that they can predict death, Black cats are historically feared by many and even companions of Satan.
In Norse mythology, cats are viewed as sacred animals, being associated with the Goddess Freya and pulling her chariot towards her funeral. They are also viewed as magical creatures who are believed to have heightened senses and guide us into the afterlife.
Why can cats sense death?
Whilst many of these portrayals of cats and death are from traditions, cultures and folklore, there is actually some science behind why cats can often tell when someone is going to die.
Cats have heightened senses, which can often make them able to, literally, sense when someone is going to die. Their sense of smell can detect changes in chemicals within the human body when death is close, along with their hearing, which allows them to hear a change in breath or an irregular heartbeat. Routine based animals, they can also sense something is wrong when schedule changes or there is a change to an environment, for example, new people like nurses and doctors entering the home and medical equipment being set up.
There have been many well-known cases of cats predicting when someone may die. The story of Oscar the therapy cat is likely the most well known example of this. Oscar was adopted by Steere House, a medical and rehabilitation centre located in Rhode Island, USA, for the purpose of being a therapy cat for the in-house patients. A pattern began shortly after his arrival where he would stay at a patient’s bedside and refuse to leave. Only a few hours later, the patient would pass away. Originally put down to a coincidence, the nurses ignored the phenomenon, but when the pattern wouldn’t stop, they began to believe Oscar had the ability to predict when a patient was about to die.
Oscar predicted over 100 deaths in his time at the medical centre, and there have been many more examples of cats predicting death over the years.
Whilst associated with death and, to many, considered a bad omen, cats actually offer people comfort and companionship in their final hours, ensuring nobody dies alone.