Oscar, the Cat Who Predicts Death

Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat is a new book by Dr. David Dosa.

In case you don't remember Dr. Dosa, he became somewhat famous in 2007 for breaking the story of a cat who could actually, quantifiably predict death in the New England Journal of Medicine (see "A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat"). Dosa was concerned that the kitty got a bad rap — understandably so, with quotes like "It is not yet Mrs. P.'s time, and he wants nothing to do with her." His intention was never to make the cat sound like a grim reaper.

"I wanted to write a book that would go beyond Oscar's peculiarities, to tell why he is important to family members and caregivers who have been with him at the end of a life," he told Reuters.

The cat was rescued from a shelter as a kitten to become a therapy cat at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. When he was about six months old, the staff started to notice that he only seemed to curl up with patients who were about to die — in fact, often when even they didn't know it.

Dosa recounts one instance when staff were convinced of the imminent death of one patient but Oscar refused to sit with that person, choosing instead to be on the bed of another patient down the hallway. Oscar proved to be right. "The person he sat with died first, taking staff on the ward by surprise," reports Reuters, adding that Oscar has now accurately predicted approximately 50 deaths (at the time of the 2007 article, it was just 25).

This fascinating cat, now five years old, is nothing if not a blessing. He's been thanked in numerous obituaries for helping families prepare for and cope with death. This book, which chronicles Dosa's experiences with Oscar from the first time they met (Oscar bit him), is sure to warm your heart and calm your soul and provide interesting insight about the abilities of our dear pets — the same ones many have always claimed know more than we do about the world. "I don't think Oscar is that unique," said Dosa, "but he is in a unique environment. Animals are remarkable in their ability to see things we don't, be it the dog that sniffs out cancer or the fish that predicts earthquakes. Animals know when they are needed."

Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat is available from Amazon.com for $12.95.

Photo via Amazon.com.