As the feline walks into the room, the patient lying in bed exhales a shaky breath with rattling lungs. This will be the patient's last hours, but she is not alone. There's a cat that soundlessly jumps onto her bed. The room is dim with the quiet beeps of multiple medical machines, and the soft purring vibrates against the patient's leg.
The patient weakly stretches their gnarled hand out to feel the soft fur and relaxes. Doctors and nurses are puzzled. Why did this cat enter a patient's room again? What were its intentions? Were they evil or kind? Soon they were going to find out that shocking truth.
Unknown Origin
Oscar the cat showed up at Steere House Nursing Center in Rhode Island as a kitten. None of the staff remembered how he showed up, but he quickly became loved and part of the family. Oscar does not have one specific owner and is taken care of by the full staff of doctors and nurses.
He has a typical cat disposition and is picky about affection. He usually prefers to hang around the home's welcome center with nurses but will leave if they try to cuddle him. One day Oscar did something unusual, but the results left the entire staff shocked and in tears.
Would This Stray Survive?
Since Oscar was rescued by the nursing home, no one knew if he would survive as a kitten. Like a stray cat, no one knew if he had any medical problems or how he would grow up constantly surrounded by the elderly and sick.
While some animals love to give comfort, Oscar was the opposite and preferred to be left alone. When this cat decided to spend time with you it normally had terrible consequences. Would residents be prepared for what it meant when Oscar entered their room?
A Lone Wolf Amongst Sheep
Oscar never worried about being taken care of because all the staff at the hospice loved to dote on the cute feline. He was always easy to spot sleeping on a chair or table. One day, doctors found him in a very unusual location.
The patient wards were blocked from anyone entering so how did Oscar manage to make his way down the hallway to this one particular resident. When the staff found him he was pawing at the residents' door. Would they let the cat into the room or take him back to where he usually slept?
Let’s See What Happens
The team decided to let Oscar into the room and were curious to see what he would do. The patient in the room was fast asleep and was not bothered by Oscar’s intrusion. Silently Oscar leaped onto the patient's bed and gave him a sniff.
The cat then decided to fall asleep at the patient's feet. The staff thought Oscar looked adorable and the patient hadn’t woken up. They left the door open for Oscar to leave and continued on their rounds. Hours later an alarm sounded in the halls confirming everyone’s worst fears.
The Final Alarm
The health center had an alarm that went off when a patient was in distress or passing. As the nurses rushed to the room they were shocked at what they found. They had all been in this room moments earlier and one thing hadn’t changed at all.
Oscar was still on the patient's bed curled up at their feet. It appeared the patient had passed in their sleep but was it a fluke that Oscar had chosen this specific room to take an afternoon nap. When the nurses arrived the cat silently left the room. Where would he go next?
Was This A One-Time Chance?
The team at the health center was puzzled. Oscar didn’t normally leave the front area of the hospice. Why did he choose today and more importantly this patient? Was the cat attempting to communicate a warning with staff?
The workers were puzzled but decided it must have been a random occurrence. They put it out of their minds. Later that week a doctor once again found Oscar wandering the hallways of the patient's room. What would the team decide to do with this curious cat?
Watching & Waiting
Since no one was sure if it was a fluke that the patient had passed away they decided to watch Oscar carefully. He didn’t seem to appear in the patient wing every day but when he did most patients were excited for the furry companion.
Would he choose to take a nap with another patient or was he just enjoying stretching his legs? The hospice was busy every day taking care of patients in critical stages of care. It was easier for the team to let Oscar have free reign, but they might regret not monitoring his actions later...
It Happened Again
A few weeks later the familiar alarm alerted the team that a patient was passing. As they rushed to the room everyone stopped at the door. There at the patient's feet was Oscar and he was just waking up from a nap.
The nurses began to question if they should be paying more attention to this curious cat? No one was ever able to predict death. Was Oscar giving them a surprise gift or was it just a rare occurrence. Everyone kept their eyes open for what he would do next…
Was He Ever Wrong?
Oscar was comfortable in all wings of the hospice. It was his home and he had been there since he was a kitten. In his years he had met many patients and family members but still avoided being picked up at all costs.
It made his behavior even stranger that he would choose to lay at the feet of these patients. That wasn’t his normal choice for napping. Plus the doctors noticed one important detail every time Oscar entered a room. What was this unusual trait the cat possessed?
What Was He Doing First?
Every time Oscar decided to lie down with a patient he would sniff them first. Cats and dogs have a much more acute sense of smell than humans but no one could pinpoint what Oscar got a whiff of.
Oscar continued to amaze the staff by taking naps with patients that would later pass on. They decided to test his instincts but what could they do considering the cat was so independent and couldn’t communicate. It turns out Oscar would outsmart them all.
The Signs Point To …
One day doctors decided they would test Oscar. They had one patient who by all medical reasoning was entering their last day at the hospice. They had called family members but decided to use Oscar’s judgment.
They brought the cat into the room which was already against his normal protocol. Oscar would roam the halls and choose his own room without announcing it to the staff unless the door was closed. Would the results be different due to human intervention?
Shocking Outcomes
Nurses were shocked when later that day the patient passed away silently in their sleep. Oscar waited for the team to come and then slinked out of the room. The other patient which doctors had predicted would die, was still healthy in their bed.
The team was stumped! Nothing had indicated this patient was on his last breath. How had Oscar known and not the doctors? Was Oscar comforting these patients in their final hours or did the cat have more sinister motives?
A Thorough Examination
They checked the patient for any warning signs they had missed, but it was a natural death. Part of what makes death so painful is that we never have a way to know when it was coming. Did Oscar have a secret sense for when it was about to be someone’s last hour on earth?
One doctor became especially intrigued with the cat and began to study him intensely as he made his rounds through the hospice. He also began to register how patients responded to the cat's presence. Was Oscar an angel of death or a comforting final confession?
Introduction To Dr. David Dosa
The resident geriatrician at Steere House Nursing Center was Dr. Dosa. In his spare time, he also worked at the Rhode Island Hospital and was an assistant professor of medicine at the Warrern Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
When he worked rounds at Steere House, he became more and more fixated by the unusual workings of Oscar the cat. Dr. Dosa specialized in geriatric medicine and was comfortable working with the dying elderly, but he realized Oscar held the key to a timeless question. How far would he be willing to go to prove his theory?
Would You Feel Better If You Knew?
When people are approaching their final days they are stressed wondering if they will get to say goodbye or how it will feel. What if Oscar’s sense of smell would be able to tell people they had reached the end?
Dr. Dosa firmly believed after watching Oscar’s habits that he was right and began telling nurses if the cat entered a patient's room they should call the family immediately. Was this cat going to attract the wrong kind of publicity?
How Did Family Members Feel About Oscar?
The nursing home was concerned that family members would think Oscar was a bad omen. At first, they tried to keep it quiet but news began to spread through nurses and patients. What if families became spooked by the cat and moved their loved ones to different facilities?
No other nursing home could provide the service Oscar was offering but it did feel unbelievable. It wasn’t until your family member was on the bed Oscar lay down on did you really believe in the cat’s magical powers. Would patients' children be thankful or scared by the cat?
Eternally Grateful
All of the family members Dr. Dosa was so relieved that Oscar had let them know. It gave them a chance to be with their loved ones in their final moments or re-work their schedules. It made death less of a surprise.
If family members couldn’t get to the hospital then they also loved that Oscar stayed with their relatives until the end. The cat never left the bed he chose until the nursing team arrived and the alarm had sounded. How did patients feel about Oscar and his uncanny gift?
A Constant Companion
The residents agreed that they liked having Oscar nearby, regardless of what it meant. His presence might indicate their final hours but it also meant they weren’t alone. Even if Oscar didn’t let them get too close he never left their feet until the end.
What were the patients doing when Oscar entered their room? If someone told you that it was the final stretch of life, how would you spend your final hours? Unable to move or leave the space, residents were doing the next best thing with their feline sidekick.
Leave It All Behind
Oscar was a fantastic listener. Residents would quietly begin to tell the cat things they didn’t want to hold onto anymore. They would talk about regrets or about the happiest days of their lives and they would feel calm knowing they were having their final day.
Oscar was hearing a variety of secrets and last words but he would never be able to tell anyone. Did the cat realize the huge impact he was having on residents and their families alike? There was a specific team that was very interested in finding out what Oscar had to say.
Scientists Were Desperate For Answers
Human morality constantly eluded scientists. There was never one way to know that today would be someone's last day or last breath. Even if doctors and nurses followed all the medical signs, people were always full of surprises.
Scientists wanted to figure out what Oscar knew. This cat was special and was able to smell something specific on these patients. Was there a way for science to bottle up Oscar’s powers? What lengths would they go to find out the answers?
Oscar Was Becoming International
At first family members started sharing how thankful they were for the sweet cat. They began to share stories about having a cherished last moment or knowing their loved ones were not alone. News outlets and media began to take notice of this cat that was able to smell death.
Normally this sense would be terrifying, but packaged with Oscar’s cute outward appearance everyone felt very calm around the feline. Who else would want to recognize Oscar’s special skills?
A Medical Drama
Oscar’s talent sounded fictional unless you worked at the nursing home and witnessed his keen sense of smell. After ten years he still had yet to curl up next to anyone who didn’t pass away that day.
When media outlets began to cover the story it was only a matter of time before Oscar wound up on television. The nursing home received a surprising phone call one day and suddenly it was time for Oscar’s silver screen moment. How would Oscar do on camera?
A Cinematic Marvel
The popular medical drama HOUSE is about a brilliant doctor who solves medical mysteries. In 2009 they filmed the episode titled ‘Here Kitty’ which focused on a cat that was able to predict death.
The show was attempting to disprove the cat’s ability but even the skeptical doctor had to concede to the cat's supreme abilities. Is this how it felt to work with Oscar? Was he making doctors second guess the science they saw every day?
A Medical Ally
Dr. Dosa was still a firm supporter of Oscar’s amazing abilities. If anything, the doctor was more intrigued by science and what his team was missing than Oscar could smell. Could death be quantified by just an aroma?
Walking with Oscar for so many years had given Dr. Dosa many insights and patient stories. He began to write down these experiences and how people felt after Oscar helped them. Would anyone be interested in reading this collection, or would it remain a whiff of what Oscar had experienced?
Oscar A Published Star
Dr. Dosa decided to publish his findings in the medical field and also in the literature. He worked with a publisher and released the collection of stories titled, ‘Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat’.
As people read the book and were touched by Oscar allowing families to have a final goodbye, one big question remains. If Oscar can smell death, does that mean other cats too? How could the team look into this incredible feline sixth sense?
Environmental Conditions
Oscar had grown up in a nursing home and had been around death since he was a kitten. Unlike other cats, he was surrounded by the sick or dying instead of a healthy family. Could this have changed his sense of smell and perception?
Was anything else different about Oscar that was unexplainable? Scientists from around the world reached out to Dr. Dosa. They all wanted answers to the same questions. What did death smell like and could Oscar help more people?
Different Theories
It was time for the greatest minds to work on why Oscar could smell death. Hundreds of scientists approached Dr. Dosa to study and work with Oscar but the facility agreed no tests would ever be run on the feline.
While they weren’t allowed to properly examine the cat, they could study his behaviors and try to find patterns with patients. Has the answer for knowing your day of death been right under your nose this entire time?
Oscar’s Nose Knows
The most popular theory is that Oscar can smell a change in chemicals from the patients. This specific aroma is from the biochemicals released by dying cells. Other scientists and animal specialists have theorized Oscar notice a lack of movement or specific stillness from patients.
The community cannot come to one agreement on how he learned this skill or if other cats would be able to pick up on the same things. There is one thing everyone is grateful for at Oscar’s health center. It’s a gift only he can provide to families and loved ones in Dr. Dosa’s care.
The Gift Of A Final Goodbye
While no one can understand Oscar’s gift they are very thankful for his special talent. He is able to give family members and loved ones a final goodbye. When Oscar enters a patient room, it's now protocol to call family members.
The Oscar alert has made people have a final moment they would have otherwise missed and is irreplaceable. While he has had several pop culture references in t.v shows and music, this is the biggest impact and imprint from his long life.
One Amazing Cat - One Incredible Life
After arriving at Steere House Nursing Center in Rhode Island in 2005 Oscar is still a resident. He’s currently 16 years old and although a little bit slower, still has a knack for figuring out which patients need his attention.
As he gets older, Dr. Dosa says it's hard to confront the cat's mortality. One day it will be Oscar’s last day, but who will let us know? This cat's sixth sense for smelling death has defied science across the globe, but he has also become a national paw-print on our hearts.