AP Photo
We’ve posted several synchronicities that involve animals as oracles. But this next story is unique. It was written up in the New England Journal of Medicine and in a recently released book, Making Rounds with Oscar: the Extraordinary Gift of An Ordinary Cat.
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In 2005, Oscar was adopted from an animal shelter and became a permanent resident of the dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Providence, Rhode Island. The staff adopted him because they feel that animals make the facility a home. The facility, after all, is usually the final stop before death, where patients with dementia no longer recognize loved ones, can’t talk, and are lost in chopped up memories of the the past.
So what is Oscar’s incredible talent? He knows when death is just a few hours away and snuggles up next to the dying patient, purring. In Oscar’s five years at the facility, he has predicted 50 deaths correctly and astonished Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician and professor at Brown University who works with the dementia patients.
In 2007, Dosa wrote about Oscar in the New England Journal of Medicine and is author of the book about Oscar. Dosa can’t explain Oscar’s talent and after the article was published in 2007, was concerned that people might consider the cat a furry grim reaper. Now he knows otherwise. “People actually were taking great comfort in this idea, that this animal was there and might be there when their loved ones eventually pass,” Dosa said. “He was there when they couldn’t be.”
Oscar is apparently so accurate that the nursing home staff knows to call the family when the cat curls up beside a patient.
The CBS story is here.
I do believe animals have a sixth sense so to speak as well, you hear stories every so often about an animal having a sense of knowing about their owners.
I vaguely recall hearing a story about a dog who would instinctually lay down and sometimes over his young owner right before his seizures began.
I agree with Mike Perry's comment though about the sense of smell, as I remember too hearing a story about dogs being trained, although they already were able to sense this, to detect people who were suffering from cancer by the smell of their breath.
Again I think this ability is inherent, but some animals may not all feel secure with approaching the human and staying with them. That probably is a special Oscar.
For the record, my cat knew something was afoot when I was expecting my first. She too would snuggle up against me more than normal, but she wouldn't lay on my stomach, which she loved to do before. Weird.
House did an episode, how cool is that?
Our fur and feathered friends are precious!
Wonderful story.
The TV show "House" did an episode based on this story.
Wonderful story for so many reasons.
There is so much coming to light about 'extra sensory' occurences, that very soon it will be the norm.
How interesting will that be?
I had a cat for 18 years, and she would walk up to the corner to get me from school everyday at 3p.m., and lick my tears and sit with me if I was sad. She was my best friend during a difficult childhood, and I swear she was a 'person'. She was a giveaway, and when we went to look at the kittens, she picked me, and not the other way around. I was five years old at the time. 😀
I loved this post, and all of the comments. We had a cat that was very special, too. What a sweet guy to cuddle up and comfort those passing on.
I agree completely, Gemel.
What most of us humans fail to see is that, we too are capable of such things if we open our self up to it, I knew that someone close to me was expecting a child without anyone saying a word to me, just days after she found out, it is in us all, and the animals like Oscar are here to remind us…..
So much we don't understand….thank goodness!Wouldn't life be less interesting if we did?
I wasn't meaning to say that the 'conclusion' was correct, just that it is offered by the book. Sadly my mother was in a Nursing Home – they also had a cat and, as you say, not all cats do this – if they did there wouldn't be a book!
Having had cats and dogs virtually all of my life I've seen how they can react in special ways.
Mike
Three cheers for oscar and all the animals like him!
a beautifully moving story, and one i've read previously, too – but never tire of hearing – i for one am going with oscar's special nature and nurturing! [regardless of odors] – most of us have experienced incredible stories of these kinds of things with our own pets and i'm always moved by them! thanks for reminding me of oscar!!!
Great minds and all that, Mike!
I've been around nursing homes with cats and dogs and while it may be true there's an odor that tips off Oscar, then why don't all these nursing home animals do this?
That made me smile! I have Oscar on the list of posts I was going to write.
Oscar was in the UK press over the weekend, because of a book just released about him.
One conclusion was that it was possibly the aroma of someone who was dying which attracted him. Seemingly there is a chemical reaction prior to death.
Mike.
Laurence sounds like a terrific cat, Vicki. How lucky you were to have him for 17 years!
I love this story. Every time I hear about it it reminds me of my first cat, Laurence. He was a very big tabby. He was always special to me because for years in college almost all of my stories involved a cat named Laurence and so after I graduated I knew I had to go find him and I did. He was an amazing guy and blessed me with his love for 17 wonderful years.
Oscar reminds me of my cat because, when I was pregnant for the first time he was very protective of me. He had always showered me with affection to the point that my husband would sometimes get annoyed. As the pregnancy proceeded Laurence became more and more attentive to me, almost as if he was trying to comfort me. He never let me out of his sight. It actually got so bad I began to wonder what was going on with him and worried he would be jealous of the baby. Then into my fourth month he was almost frantic. He would lie on me and try to groom me and I felt bad because I was getting annoyed.
After a week of this I lost the baby. When I came home from the hospital Laurence was waiting at the door for us, purring. The next day he was back to his normal self.
I told the Doctor about how he had acted and when we were able to get pregnant again everyone (doctor, nurses, friends) always asked "How is Laurence acting?"
He never acted so strange again and adored both of my girls and actually was extremely protective of them. He would always let me know they were awake from naps about 5 minutes before they would start fussing.
He also watched over our little terrier when he got older and sicker and would let me know if he needed me or needed to go out.
He was an amazing cat who blessed all of our lives.