Is Oscar, the Nursing Home Cat that Predicts Death, for Real?

Is Oscar, the nursing home therapy cat a furry heavenly messenger sent to comfort the terminally ill during their last hours, or is he just responding to basic cat instinct. Oscar seems to know when death is imminent, sometimes hours before the medical personnel do. He lies quietly with the patient during his or her last hours, bringing comfort and peace to an otherwise stressful situation. Others say Oscar is simply attracted by the scents of impending death.

Cats are fantastic creatures. The ancient Egyptians believed cats were gods. They believed that cats were sacred animals, a guide to the afterlife. Cats were regarded as symbols of mysticism. Cats are extremely independent and intelligent. They can predict danger. Many people agree that cats are totally awesome.

Oscar was born in 2005. He is a tabby cat who has lived on the third floor of the Steere House, a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island. He is not overly affectionate and definitely is not a lap cat. The Steere House is a pet friendly facility ...pets both visit and reside there.

The advanced dementia unit at at the Steere Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center is home to patients suffering from end stage Alzheimer's disease and terminal dementia. They are generally unaware of their surroundings. But many dying patients who seem unaware, still may respond to music and animals.

Oscar became famous in 2007 when Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician who worked at Steere's, noticed that Oscar had an almost perfect ability to predict the death of terminally ill patients. The cat, like doctors and nurses, would make his own rounds. He would sniff and observe patients. He then would remain in the room and curl up with certain ones. Always, that patient would die within 2-3 hours.

Oscar is still on duty. He surprisingly, is well received by patients and their families. He seems to know when he is needed. Families are not horrified by Oscar's presence. They see comfort for themselves at a difficult time.

Dr. David Dosa was so impressed with Oscar that he wrote a book "Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat." Excerpts from the book were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and Oscar, the nursing home therapy cat, became famous.

Some scientists say that Oscar smells and enjoys the odor of certain chemicals (ketones) released as a dying body breaks down. They say he probably finds comfort resting on a still, soft body.

Whatever Oscar may be, a furry grim reaper or a gentle loving creeper, he continues his vigils at the Steere House, much to the comfort of family members struggling to deal with death. Today Oscar is still famous. He frequently is mentioned in obituaries and at funeral services.

Sources:

Coast to coast A.M. .... Radio interview with David Dosa M.D.

Oscar (cat)...Wikipedia

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