05/11/2025
A cat named Oscar became famous for his extraordinary ability to sense when nursing home residents were nearing the end of their lives. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, Oscar lived at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, where he was adopted as a kitten in 2005. Staff began to notice that he would curl up beside patients just hours before they passed away, often staying with them until the very end. His accuracy was so consistent that nurses started calling families when they saw Oscar lying with a resident, giving loved ones a chance to say goodbye.
Oscar’s behavior was first documented by geriatrician Dr. David Dosa in 2007. According to UNILAD, Oscar correctly predicted more than 100 deaths during his lifetime. While he was usually described as aloof, he became deeply attentive when someone was in their final hours. Some researchers suggested that Oscar may have been able to detect biochemical changes in the body as cells began to shut down, while others believed he was responding to subtle shifts in behavior or scent.
His story reached a wider audience when Dr. Dosa published a book in 2010 titled Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat. According to Historic Flix, Oscar continued his quiet vigils for many years until he passed away himself in 2022 at the age of 17.
Oscar’s legacy remains one of the most remarkable examples of animal intuition in a medical setting. Whether through scent, instinct, or something science has yet to fully explain, he provided comfort to patients in their final moments and gave families precious time to prepare for loss.
