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Found this news story today on my newspage, was on the television here as well. I thought it was a great story so I'm sharing it.



CHICAGO (Reuters) - When Oscar the Cat visits residents of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, the staff jumps into action -- Oscar can sense within hours when someone is about to die.

In his two years living in Steere's end-stage dementia unit, Oscar has been at the bedside of more than 25 residents shortly before they died, according to Dr. David Dosa of Brown University in Providence.

He wrote about Oscar in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"It's not that the cat is consistently there first," Dr. Joan Teno, a professor of community health at Brown University, who sees patients in the unit. "But the cat always does manage to make an appearance, and it always seems to be in the last two hours."

Raised at the nursing home since he was a kitten, Oscar often checks in on residents, but when he curls up for a visit, physicians and nursing home staff know it's time to call the family.

"I don't think this is a psychic cat," said Teno. "I think there's probably a biochemical explanation," she said in a telephone interview.

While pets are often used to bring comfort to the elderly in nursing home settings, Oscar's talent is special, though not unexpected.

"That is such a cat thing to do," said Thomas Graves, a feline expert and chief of small animal medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Graves said there is no evidence to suggest cats can sense death, but he doesn't discount it for a minute.

"Those things are hard to study. I think probably dogs and cats can sense things we can't," he said.

On a particular day detailed by Dr. Dosa, Oscar settled onto the bed of a patient in room 313.

His presence sent staff off to make calls and set up vigil.

When a grandson asked why the cat was there, his mother explained: "He is here to help Grandma get to heaven," according to Dosa's account.

She died a half an hour later.

I think that's how I'd like to go as well, with an animal by my side. How about any of you?

wow, that was some story, as about dying beside an animal sure, if i was told i wanna gunna die, hopefully ill die of old age hehe.

That is amazing. The title fits very well, since it's like the cat goes to comfort them, like saying in it's language "Don't worry, soon you will feel no pain. You'll be happy, and healthy, and safe, with God." *sob* Animals have a way, and I guess it's another way of showing us that they have a sixth sense. I read that a cat (at least I think it was) defended it's home from a burglar, and it was blind.

I too heard this story but on the news in the UK.
what an amazing story, agree with Dr Joan Teno, there's probably a biochemical explanation.
I'd love to go with an animal by my side.
Oscar is such a cutie, love his expression!

Sheba

Tell you what, you'd be a bit miffed if you knew about that cat and then suddenly the bugger comes and sits next to you on the hospitable bed

I saw that on the news too. I thought it was really cool how Oscar could sense when someone was going to die. But really, that's one cat I wouldn't want staying in my room .

To an elderly person in a home, I think it would be very comforting though, even if they knew about the cat and what it meant. Especially if they were alone or were in alot of pain. I would.

I saw that on the Today show! It's really incredible that this cat has a sixth sence. Anyway, I'm a huge cat lover. I would definately be comforted by a cat by my side.