Here Kitty, Kitty!

As an unabashed cat lover, a story like this was bound to catch my attention. For those few of you who have no idea what I am talking about, I am refering to Oscar the Cat (picture at left). Oscar is the pet at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center's 3rd floor dementia unit. The unit cares for those suffering from Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses. Adopted as a kitten, the 2 year cat has come to serve the floor as an uncannily accurate predictor of when a patient is about to die. His talent has resulted in a write-up in the New England Journal of Medicine.

OK, I'll admit that this sounds a little macabre, but it isn't. It is actually an unique talent the cat seems to have that enables the staff to better know when a patient is dying so they can notify the family & allow them a chance to say their final farewells.

About 6 months after his arrival, the staff began to notice his talent. They saw that he was making his own version of rounds & staying by people who would die within a few hours. "He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. In fact, he has accurately predicted 25 deaths so far.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's 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 Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

The staff doesn't really care what the reason is. Instead they are appreciative of Oscar's talent that enables them to call the families. & to show their gratitude he was recently honored by a wall plaque publicly commending his "compassionate hospice care."

Source: Oscar the Cat Predicts Nursing Home Deaths Fox News