Claim:

A cat living in a nursing home was believed by staff to have accurately predicted the deaths of many of the facility’s residents.

Evaluation:

Context

There is no direct evidence other than anecdotal statements from nursing home staff supporting the cat’s alleged predictive abilities, but several speculative scientific explanations have been suggested.

A claim was circulating that a cat being treated at a hospice was believed by staff to have predicted the death of many residents there. reddit As of this writing in April 2024, it has received 79,000 upvotes.

Most comments on the thread were sarcastic or gallows humor, but some displayed empathy. One user wrote, “I’m a hospice nurse and this happens to animals often. They don’t leave their owners’ side when they’re about to die.” wrote.

(Jjokes11 on Reddit)

a different person shared Personal experience of cats providing comfort during a critical illness:

Cats have a special relationship with humans. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and when I started chemotherapy my cats started paying more attention to me than ever. They lay on my chest, purring over the softball-sized hidden tumor. After my entire left lung was removed, I came home to recover. My cats stayed with me, but they were no longer interested in laying on my chest. I have been cancer free for 9 months now and the cats seem to worry less about me now hahaha. But Keyga and Acemon are still my guardian angels.

The cat in question was named Oscar and he was a real cat living there. non-profit facility Wheelhouse in Providence, Rhode Island. Steere House was founded in 1874 and provides long-term care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

The facility tells his mission “independent non-profit organization serving adults in need of skilled, restorative and long-term care services in a safe and compassionate environment. Steere House also offers educational and research experiences that enhance the care of those we serve.”

Oscar’s story first came to prominence in an article titled “A Day in the Life of Oscar” published in 2007. Cat,” published in New England Journal of Medicine. Author: Dr. David Dosa was a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant Professor of medicine at Brown University.

An excerpt from the article describes Oscar visiting a patient, sniffing around, determining it’s not their time, and then moving on:

Returning down the hall, Oscar arrives in room 313. The door is open and he comes in. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in bed, breathing regularly but shallowly. She is surrounded by photos of her grandchildren and from her wedding day. Despite these memories, he is alone. Oscar jumps on his bed and sniffs the air again. He pauses to assess the situation, turns around twice and curls up next to Mrs. K.

An hour passes. He’s waiting for the Oscar. The nurse enters the room to check on her patient. He pauses to notice Oscar’s presence. Worried, he hurries out of the room and returns to his desk. He grabs Ms. K.’s chart from the medical records shelf and begins making phone calls.

Within half an hour the family starts arriving. Chairs are brought to the room where relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to perform the last rites. And yet Oscar doesn’t move, instead he purrs and nuzzles Mrs. K gently. A young grandson asks his mother: “What is the cat doing here?” Her mother broke down in tears and told her: “He’s here to help his grandmother get to heaven.” Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. Oscar then sits down, looks around, and leaves the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices.

A note at the end of Dosa’s article It reads like this:

Oscar the cat has an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. He has so far presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by doctors and hospice staff as an almost sure indicator of impending death, allowing staff to adequately inform families. Oscar also provided companionship to those who would otherwise die alone. He is highly respected for the work he does by the physicians and staff at Steere House and the families of the residents he serves.

Dosa’s article brought Oscar’s story into popular culture of the time, garnering coverage from mainstream outlets such as: CBS News And ReutersThe second reported that the number of patients had increased to 50. In 2009, an episode of television’s popular medical drama titled “House” aired. “Hello Kitty” It had a plot inspired by Oscar’s story. 2013 novel by Stephen King “Doctor Sleep” Moreover features A cat with a similar ability.

In 2010, he published a book titled Dosa. “Walking Around with Oscar” It further details Oscar’s alleged gift. A year later, Diversity Announced that a feature film based on Dosa’s book is in development, but no film has been made yet ever made.

To support the publication of the book, Dosa YouTube Channel of publisher Hyperion Books. In an interview He said this about Oscar:

I think we were all a little skeptical at first. This isn’t something you see every day, and he was a pretty remarkable cat in every way. Dementia is a terrible disease that takes a lot from patients, but ultimately it is the caregivers who suffer the most. “Walking Around with Oscar” is actually their story. This is the story of all the hard decisions made made; this is the story of it all guilt and all the emotions that arise at the end of life.

Here are possible scientific explanations for Oscar’s apparent talent: discussed Dosa suggested this might be related to a study that “suggested that dogs could be trained to identify microscopic amounts of certain biochemicals secreted by cancer cells on the breath of lung and breast cancer patients.” Similar studies have been conducted over the years. “Melanoma-sniffing dogs and earthquake-predicting fish have also been identified.”

In the epilogue to “A Ride with Oscar,” Dosa recounted a story told to him by a World War II doctor who learned to recognize the scent of impending death in those he treated. The file continues as follows:

This “sweet smell of death” has a plausible biological explanation. As cells die, carbohydrates are broken down into many different oxygenated compounds, including various types of ketones, chemical mixtures known for their fragrant aroma. Ketones are also abundant during untreated episodes of juvenile diabetes, and in medical school, doctors are taught to smell diabetics’ breath to determine if sugar levels are high. Could Oscar have smelled the high levels of chemical compounds released before death? It is absolutely clear that animals have a developed sense of smell far beyond that of the ordinary human.

But ultimately Dosa concludes that understanding the science behind it means: not so absolutely amazing import, Considering the service Oscar provides.

It’s Oscar’s job to provide critical companionship in the final hours… I don’t pretend to actually know the nature of Oscar’s special ability – I’m not an animal behavior expert, and I haven’t studied meticulously the why and how of his behavior. Whether motivated by a subtle sense of smell, special empathy, or something else entirely, your guess is as good as mine. But I believe we can all learn from his example.

One in February 2016 to post The post on Steere House’s Facebook page shed light on Oscar:

Post To read, partially:

Oscar has demonstrated the ability to detect a patient’s impending death and, in doing so, is able to provide some comfort to the dying elderly residents of Steere House’s Safe Haven Advanced Care unit and their families dealing with the final stages of the disease. Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of end-stage dementia.

Another in February 2022 to post He announced the Oscars on his Facebook page death 17 years old.

An image shared in the post read: “We are saddened to announce that our pet therapy cat, Oscar, has passed away after 17 wonderful years. Oscar served our residents, staff, and families by providing comfort and companionship to all. A beloved member of our community, he passed away quietly with his friends, February 22, 2022.”

Users expressed their sympathy with one don’t comment“What a sweet cat. I’m so sorry to hear that. My mom loved his visits. RIP Osc.” another one in question“He was a wonderful cat. I have a very young friend there named Sandy who had Alzheimer’s, and I used to see him often and he loved him too. He helped a lot of people.”

Dosa’s original article stated the number of patients Oscar accompanied at the end of their lives as 25, while a 2010 Reuters article reported it as 50, although as of his death in 2022 we have not yet been able to confirm the final number.

in 2015 Online MirrorSpeaking to Dosa for an article about the Oscars, he reported that the number had risen to over 100. We reached Dosa and Steere House. approval and we will update this article when we hear back.