So what's so unusual about Oscar? He knows when the hospice patients are going to die. But in the summer of 2007 Oscar made headlines around the world. Like most cats, he's partial to treats and catnip. At first glance Oscar doesn't seem special.

Oscar the cat lives on the third floor of a nursing home in Rhode Island, USA. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.īook Description Paperback. Can a cat really predict death? Is he smelling something or responding to behavioural clues? Is he helping guide souls to heaven? Oscar's warm and profound story - of his uncanny ability to see death coming, of his steadfast and non-judgmental commitment to sit with patients as they die, of his quiet compassion - is a metaphor for what is important at the end of life. And, because of him, they don't die alone. He is a steady companion as patients descend into death. Dr Dosa's job is to respond to people's medical needs, treat them for their ailments and communicate with their families.

Too bad, though, this book just lingers with what it could have been.Oscar the cat lives on the third floor of a nursing home in Rhode Island, USA. Dosa's eventual appreciation for this curious cat.

Though he was skeptical regarding Oscar's supposed gift, it was cheering to hear of Dr. As a medical doctor, the author clearly states that he's no animal behaviorist he doesn't have pets and never seemed to have much interest in them. Dosa states himself near the tail end of the book, 'Though my interviews with with decedents' families were meant to provide me with more insight into what Oscar does, I found myself learning a great deal more about the diseases that had destroyed my patients' lives than I did about the cat.' That's to be expected, I suppose, as cats can be mysterious creatures, but I don't know, if you're going to write a book about a death-sensing cat and the comfort and companionship he provides, is it too much to expect a more thorough exploration of such? Aside from a mention of the breakdown of cells emitting sweet-smelling ketones that perhaps some animals can be tuned into, there really no further queries, posturings, or anecdotal offerings of other animals' keen perceptions to offer why or how Oscar the cat may be able to sense death.

Making Rounds with Oscar by David Dosa