As a long time animal control officer, I have my own theory, based on many first hand experiences with pet cats and decedents. A pet dog will always protect a loved one's corpse, and a pet cat will always begin to consume a corpse. When first learning of the "death cat" I assumed that celluar death preceding total death in dying patients was detectable by the cats acute sense of smell, and the cats insistence at staying at the dying patients bedside was motivated by hunger. I have seen pet cats at deceased owners homes who had full bowls of food and water and still consumed their owners flesh. I assumed it had to do with keeping the den clean. Dogs will not do this, even to the point of starving. Cat people, these are the facts.

Yikes! Another reason I refuse to have a cat.

that they aren't aware or accepting of the fact that cats can and will eat people. Had I died first, nothing would have made me happier within the first few minutes of my death than looking down upon my body and watching it being consumed by my own dear cat. Less mess to cremate.

The knowledge that cats will eat dead humans, even their beloved dead human staff, has saved my life a few times. I'm frequently plagued by clinical depression, and I've wanted to commit suicide more times than I can count. But my late-night death wishes are invariably stopped by the idea of my three cats happily lapping up what remained of my splattered brain.

There is no such thing as a domesticated cat--there are only smaller cats and larger cats. And in spite of everything, I'm still a fool for 'em.