Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths

A cat in Providence, Rhode Island is able to predict death like the grim reaper. The cat named Oscar, has an unbelievable streak it is able to predict the death of nursing home patients, by curling next to them just hours before their death.

Oscar the cat, has predicted so far 25 deaths, and the nursing staff use this as a cue to call the patients’ family members about the impending death. The cat curls next to them when they have just four hours to live and doesn’t go near them if they die longer the four hours. Dr. David Dosa writes about this strange phenomenon in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. He said the cat doesn’t make too many mistakes; it is able to understand when patients are going to die. Some may be discomforted by this with a cat lying next to their loved one just before their death, but many family members feel comfortable with it and appreciated the companionship offered by Oscar. Oscar was adopted as a kitten by the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and it grew up in one of the floors. This hospital treats Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses. Six months after it was adopted, the nurses seem to notice Oscar, which also used to go rounds along with the nurses, sniff and observe patients. Then it sits besides people who would wind up dying in the next few hours. It seems Oscar is not that friendly with everyone just with dying patients. Dr. Joan Teno, Brown University, Rhode Island, said that Oscar is able to predict death better than the staff. Dr. Teno treats patients in the facility and is an expert in the care for the terminally ill. She didn’t believe Oscar at first but was convinced when Oscar correctly predicted the 13th death. She noticed the patient wasn’t eating, was breathing heavily and her legs had a bluish tinge indicating that the death was imminent. But Oscar didn’t stay for long, so everyone thought Oscar will fail this time, but instead the patient survived for another 10 hours. And just before the patient’s death Oscar came again, sat next to the patient and few hours later, the patient died. The patients who are in near death conditions often don’t notice the cat lying next to them, so they don’t feel worse about their death. One time a family member opposed the presence of Oscar, so they took it outside. It seems Oscar felt angry and showed its displeasure by pacing back and forth and meowing loudly. Everyone is mystified how the Cat is able to predict correctly, and are not sure whether it is able to smell the deaths' tell tale signs or reads from the behavior of the nurses who attend the dying patients. Nicholas Dodman who supervises an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine says more studies of the cat should be done to documents it every step to see how Oscar spends its time between the living and the dying, so that one can discount the fact that it is just more than coincidence. Dodman also raised doubts that Oscar might be seeking comfort in a heated blanket placed near the dying person. I don’t think Oscar has selfish inclinations, if so, there will be a similar blanket in every room, and it could be more comforted with a person who recognizes it more than the dying patient and also can get more treats in the process. Oscar recently received a plaque for his “compassionate hospice care”. They should give more treats than a plaque and may be a special room for it. Ref: CTCentral.com