What if a cat had the ability to sense when someone was nearing the end of their life? This remarkable phenomenon became a reality with Oscar, the therapy cat at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His unique ability caught the attention of Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician and researcher from Brown University, who later wrote a book detailing Oscar's extraordinary talent.
When Oscar arrived at Steere House in 2005, he was initially a shy and reclusive kitten. Dr. Dosa noted, “Oscar was a very scared cat. He wouldn’t come out much and preferred to stay hidden, often found in the supply closet or under a bed.” However, as time went on, he began to show an affinity for certain patients, visiting their rooms and cuddling with them.
It was then that the staff began to notice a troubling trend: the patients Oscar gravitated toward were often those who passed away shortly after his visits. “We started to realize that after he spent time with someone, they were often the next to go,” Dr. Dosa explained. “After observing about 20 to 30 instances, it became clear that this was something quite remarkable.”
Oscar, who had been adopted as a therapy cat when he was just six months old, became known for his predictive behavior. Staff members began to alert families when they noticed Oscar showing affection to a resident, signaling that they might be in their final hours.
In a video interview from 2010, Dr. Dosa described Oscar’s rounds: “He walks through the unit, checking in on the approximately 40 patients. He only stays with those who are at the end of life. He has been known to sit on windowsills for hours and will curl up beside patients until the very end.”
Initially, the staff were skeptical of Oscar’s unique talent. Dr. Dosa remarked, “It’s not something you see every day. He seemed pretty ordinary in most respects.” However, family members of residents who had passed away with Oscar nearby shared a different perspective. One relative remarked, “It’s not that we trusted the cat more than the nurse. There was just something about Oscar. He seemed so certain and dedicated in what he was doing.”
The mystery remains: how did Oscar know? Dr. Dosa speculated, “Your guess is as good as mine. It’s possible he was responding to certain smells associated with the breakdown of cells.” Research indicates that both cats and dogs have an incredible ability to detect illness and disease in humans, and Oscar may have possessed a heightened sensitivity to the chemical changes occurring during the dying process.
Oscar continued to provide comfort to residents at Steere House for 17 years until he passed away in 2022. His legacy lives on through the stories of the countless lives he touched. For more about Oscar and his remarkable gift, you can read Dr. Dosa’s book, Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.