Oscar the Cat: The Extraordinary Feline Who Predicts Death
One morning, nurse Irene at the Steere House Rehabilitation and Therapy Center in Providence, Rhode Island, happened upon a newborn kitten huddled in a corner of the center. Irene was puzzled as to why the kitten was abandoned, given that most animals protect their young with great care. By noon, when the kitten was still there, Irene decided to take it in. Steere House, located at 100 Borden Street, has 150 beds for elderly patients with terminal illnesses such as cancer, advanced Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and some heart conditions. By the end of 2020, the center had 126 patients and 60 staff, including 12 doctors and 48 nurses, with funding from a nonprofit organization.
Before Irene adopted the abandoned kitten, the center already had five stray cats living in a corner of the patient laundry room. They were left alone and fed daily by the staff. Irene named the new kitten Oscar. Three months after Oscar arrived, it began displaying unusual behavior. One morning, Oscar jumped onto the bed of Mrs. Punch, 73, who had Alzheimer’s, and lay next to her. When nurse Chloe entered to serve Mrs. Punch breakfast, Oscar remained on the bed despite attempts to move it.
Even when Chloe placed Oscar on the floor, it immediately jumped back onto the bed. Mrs. Punch appeared stable, but by 11 a.m., she had passed away, with Oscar still beside her. Initially, this seemed like a coincidence, but about five months later, Oscar did the same with Mr. Teddy, 79, paralyzed from a stroke, who also died that afternoon. Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician at Steere House, attributed Mr. Teddy’s death to a severe stroke but was intrigued by the coincidence with Oscar.
From then until the end of 2007, Oscar accurately predicted the deaths of 20 patients. This unusual behavior made some staff uneasy, and they attempted to chase Oscar away. Irene noted that Oscar seemed to understand this and would often hiss when pushed out. Although Oscar did not always predict death, when it did, the staff would immediately inform the patients’ families.
By 2016, after accurately predicting over 50 deaths, the staff began notifying relatives whenever they saw Oscar with a patient. For instance, when Wilson received an urgent call about his mother, Anna Cullen, he found her calm and resting next to Oscar, just before she passed away.
By the end of 2020, Oscar had predicted the deaths of 63 patients at Steere House. This phenomenon drew media attention and led to the formation of a research group to study Oscar’s abilities. Doctors speculated that Oscar could sense biological changes in patients near death. Oscar’s behavior was peculiar; it typically slept only about 4 hours a day and ignored other cats at the center.
Oscar received the “Hospice Champion” award from an animal protection organization in Rhode Island and was frequently mentioned at patient funerals. Now 17 years old, nearing the maximum lifespan for a cat, Oscar continues its role at the center, and it is speculated that one day, Oscar may predict its own death.
