http://www.animalintelligence.org/2007/03/28/dog-saves-choking-owner/ Dog Saves Choking Owner by J.D.

ROTH on 28 MARCH 2007 2 COMMENTS in BEHAVIOR,CURRENT EVENTS,STORIES Canaduck forward a story about a dog that saved its owner from choking: Toby, a 2-year-old golden retriever, saw his owner choking on a piece of fruit and began jumping up and down on the womans chest. The dogs owner believes the dog was trying to perform the Heimlich maneuver and saved her life. Debbie Parkhurst, 45, of Calvert [Maryland] told the Cecil Whig she was eating an apple at her home Friday when a piece lodged in her throat. She attempted to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on herself but it didnt work. After she began beating on her chest, she said Toby noticed and got involved. The next think I know, Tobys up on his hind feet and hes got his front paws on my shoulders, she recalled. He pushed me to the ground, and once I was on my back, he began jumping up and down on my chest. Thats when the apple dislodged and Toby started licking her face to keep her from passing out, she said. I literally have pawprint-shaped bruises on my chest. Im still a little hoarse, but otherwise, Im OK, Parkhurst said. The doctor said I probably wouldnt be here without Toby, said Parkhurst, a jewelry artist. I keep looking at him and saying Youre amazing. Though Im a fervent believer in animal intelligence, this story takes things a little too far. This is an example of over-anthropomorphizing animal motives. No matter how smart a dog is, it doesnt have a concept of the Heimlich maneuver. It has no way to know its owner is choking. This is a nice story, and Parkhurst and Toby share a fine rapport, but I think its quite a stretch to say that Toby was intentionally saving his owners life. Thanks, Canaduck for sending this along. I appreciate it! If you see a story about animals or animal intelligence, drop me a line! (Eventually Ill make it obvious how to contact me for now youll probably have to resort to the comment form or clever Google work.) 2) http://www.animalintelligence.org/2007/08/20/oscar-the-cat-predicts-patients-deaths/ Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients Deaths by J.D. ROTH on 20 AUGUST 2007 0 COMMENTS in BEHAVIOR,INTERSPECIES,STORIES Animals are often credited with possessing an uncanny sixth sense, a level of perception beyond those that we as humans possess. Some people believe that animals are able to sense barometric changes and can be used as an indicator of impending rain. (I never believed this until recently when we were hit with an unexpected heavy storm which was precursored by a sudden silence from the birds. Im still skeptical, but less so than before.)

Amy F. sent me the story of Oscar, a cat who lives in a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island. Oscar apparently is able to tell when a patient is about to die. This story was reported widely in the world media at the end of July. Heres an exceprt from ABC News: The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease and other illnesses. After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. Hed sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours. Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. This is not a cat thats friendly to people, he said. Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill. She was convinced of Oscars talent when he made his 13th correct call. [...] Nursing home staffers arent concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying. This article from WebMD features some conjecture into Oscars ability, including thoughts from three animal behavior experts. In the most recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. David Dosa published a short essay descriving A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat. (This is a great version of the story.) [ABC News: The Grim Reaper with a Furry Tail] 3) http://www.animalintelligence.org/2008/07/31/sammy-the-friendly-jay/ Sammy the Friendly Jay by J.D. ROTH on 31 JULY 2008 2 COMMENTS in BEHAVIOR,INTERSPECIES,STORIES This summer, my wife and I have made friends with the blue jays that live in our yard. We have been shocked by how brave they are, and by how much personality they possess. I grew up with birds in the house, but they were parrots and macaws and parakeets. I know that these birds are intelligent, and have just as much personality as any other animal (or person). But Ive always clumped wild birds into a nebulous dumb bird category in my head. (Except for crows, that is. I know crows are smart.) Turns out blue jays arent dumb birds. And they have plenty of individual personality. Our main bird is called Sammy, and hes the boldest and most aggressive of the group. We lure the jays with peanuts, and Sammy is willing to come down within arms reach to get his treats. (My goal is to get him to eat out of my hand. Hes considered it before, but never acted upon it.) If we go outside, Sammy will sometimes fly down to where we are the rose garden, the blueberries, wherever and squawk at us. Give me peanuts, he says. If we are in the process of

feeding him and another jay comes nearby, Sammy will scold the interloper and try to scare it away. (This often fails, though. He cant keep away three or four jays at a time.) Last month, I was going a project at the picnic table. I set a pile of peanuts on a nearby bench. Despite the fact I was moving around the table (and often within just feet of the bench), Sammy continued to fly down, grab a peanut, and then fly away with the treasure. Sammy used to fly far away to hide his peanuts and then return for more. Now he realizes thats too much work. When we give him a peanut, he simply hides it wherever he found it in the lawn, even if thats just a few feet from us. He tap tap taps the nut into the ground, eyes it to be sure its hidden, then covers it with a leaf or two. Then he turns around for more peanuts. Hes even losing his fear of our four cats (and they are losing interest in him). If a cat is at the picnic table, Sammy will still fly down to pick a peanut off the other end. Weve been trying to decide what has made this bird so bold. We believe that Sammy is a youngster, one of last years juvenile jays. We believe hes never had reason to fear us. One of this years juveniles is almost as bold, too (maybe bolder), and we expect it to join Sammys antics next year. My favorite time with Sammy, though, is in the midst of the grove, a small clearing in the middle of a flower bed. Its an enclosed space maybe twelve feet in diameter. Sammy feels perfectly safe there, and he comes even closer than he does on the lawn. He and I like to sit in the grove and chat, sharing peanuts.

Longevity genes challenged http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110921/full/news.2011. 549.html