Cat predicts 50 deaths in RI nursing home

Telegraph ^ | February 1, 2010 | Tom Leonard

[C19fan]

A cat with an uncanny ability to detect when nursing home patients are about to die has proven itself in around 50 cases by curling up with them in their final hours, according to a new book.

Dr David Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor at Brown University, said that five years of records showed Oscar rarely erring, sometimes proving medical staff at the New England nursing home wrong in their predictions over which patients were close to death.

The cat, now five and generally unsociable, was adopted as a kitten at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Providence, Rhode Island, which specialises in caring for people with severe dementia.

Dr Dosa first publicised Oscar's gift in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007. Since then, the cat has gone on to double the number of imminent deaths it has sensed and convinced the geriatrician that it is no fluke.

[beckysueb]

Well, gee, its a nursing home. Duh!

[C19fan]

The residents are suffering dementia so I doubt those on the verge of death even realize what is going on around them.

[grobdriver]

OK - I'll be the one to ask.

Is it a black cat?

[Young Werther]

...and the name of the next person to go to heaven is...

Under the basket.

[piperpilot]

Nice thought these people in the last hours of their life are not alone.

I agree. For some reason, I would find the presence of a dog or cat on my death bed very comforting.

In a lot of these cases, the residents do die alone because either the family can't get there in time or they don't care. Very sad.

[Jagman]

Felidae croakus

[rpierce]

Unless the cat is murdering them all.

Ok that goes down as one of the funniest posts I've ever seen on FR. Of course some of it has to do with the timing of the thread placement; but still... Bravo.

[oust the louse]

Patient to nurse...”Get this cat the %^$*% out of my room!”

[outhousepatrol]

Obama won the Nobel Prize
Why?,in hell, I ask you.
Now he deserves his just reward
It’s time he gets an OSCAR!

[netmilsmom]

My dad had terminal cancer. We had a hospital bed set up in our house. My cat would sit under that bed, day and night.

The moment my dad died, he got up and walked away.

[Recon Dad]

Or possible there's more to this.

Cartman: Mom—Kitty is being a dildo.
Mrs. Cartman: Well, I know a little kitty who is sleeping with Mommy tonight.

[Diogenesis]

what if the cat is killing them - directly or indirectly?

[Constitution Day]

Dr Dosa first publicised Oscar's gift in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007.

This came before the House episode, but I do remember that one.

[Constitution Day]

Kitteh of Death ping

[martin_fierro]

GoodbyeKitteh!

[martin_fierro]

[smokingfrog]

Cat senses patients' impending death

The story is in this months Readers Digest. Pretty amazing.

Oscar

[1951Boomer]

If I’m not mistaken, this is an old story. The cat was found dead, with a dented bedpan nearby. No joke.

[GraceG]

>> They already did this on House. <<

I remembered that one.

[GraceG]

>> Nice thought these people in the last hours of their life are not alone.

Unless the cat is murdering them all. <<

The cat is sucking out their breath and stealing their souls, it is a witch, Burn it at the steak!!!