You have probably read about Oscar, dubbed “the death cat,” who took up residence at a nursing and rehabilitation center in Providence, R.I., as a kitten. Oscar had the uncanny ability to know which center patients were close to death, and curl up on their beds.
Then there was Dewey, the library cat, who touched many lives as the resident pet in a small-town library.
Well, I’d like to introduce you to Mimi, my own personal healer cat. This past Monday, I left work a little early with a blazing fever and some upper respiratory congestion. Got home, took aspirins and went to bed early. Mimi usually joins me at bedtime, stretching out along my right side, or curling up in the crook of my arm. On Monday, however, she did her ritual sniffing around, walking across me—and then she sat on my chest. Not helpful at all, I thought. But then she started settling in and ended up lying the length of my torso with a lot of her weight on my chest. Her face was nearly touching my chin! She had never done that before. It actually felt good to have that pressure on my chest. I don’t know how long she lay there because I fell sound asleep. Next day, I felt pretty good. A little wobbly but my fever was gone.
One of my colleagues says Mimi laid on me because I was hot with fever, and cats like heat. I might concede that the aspirin, the liquids I drank, and the rest helped me feel better. But I will also swear to my dying day, that Dr. Mimi came and laid on the very place where I was hurting—and her warmth helped heal me.
I would also wager that others have had similar experiences. If so, do tell!
