Cat predicts deaths in nursing home

Kalista · 07-25-2007, 07:08 PM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill

She was convinced of Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has read Dosa's article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.

If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it's also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said.

Nursing home staffers aren't concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying.

Oscar recently received a wall plaque publicly commending his "compassionate hospice care."

Science writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

On the Net:

New England Journal of Medicine: The New England Journal of Medicine: Research & Review Articles on Diseases & Clinical Practice

***VamPyroX*** · 07-26-2007, 01:29 AM

I read about that recently... freaky!

Sheila · 07-26-2007, 11:34 AM

Yeah, I read this yesterday. That's pretty cool.

ClearSky · 07-26-2007, 01:15 PM

I just saw this in the News today. That doesn't surprise me. I always thought a cat should be in nursing homes. I figure, he got keen at it by growing up as a kitten, but other than that...pretty much animals know when something's up with people. It's the same thing as the dogs that are able to predict when their guardian will have a seizure. I doubt this has to do with the warm blanket because if the nurses are wrong, then the cat obviously won't be there unless the patient is really about to die within a few hours, so I don't buy the warm blanket. This is so neat.

Miss-Delectable · 07-26-2007, 10:51 PM

Unreal!

bbdqsony · 12-26-2007, 10:05 PM

PROVIDENCE — Dogs can sometimes predict an epileptic owner's seizure or sniff at an owner's mole, signaling a possible cancer.

Now, it appears a cat can predict the deaths of patients in a nursing home.

When Oscar curls up on a patient's bed and stays there, the staff knows it's time to call the family. It usually means the patient has less than four hours to live.

The feline's accuracy has been observed in 25 cases at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," Dr. David Dosa said in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old Oscar was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at Steere House, which treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed the cat would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, and those he stayed with would wind up dying in a few hours.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill.

She was convinced of Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and has read Dosa's article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.

If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it's also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said.

Nursing home staffers aren't concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance of saying goodbye to the dying.

Oscar recently received a wall plaque commending his "compassionate hospice care."

My note: It is true, my former nursing home co-worker start using cat now to predicts deaths. Dying residents was very hard to cope with.

restless_heart · 12-26-2007, 10:48 PM

awww sweet story...my cat Saberina always knows if I am sick, mad or happy. She always go under cover with me each night till I fall asleep then she sleep next to my feet. When I am sick, she won't leave me at all. It is almost as if she was giving me this worry look. If I am angry, she stay as FAR away from me. I do believe cats do have sense in humans. I can tell from my own cat. Even she knows what you are saying or how you feel. Amazing. My other cat is not like Saberina. She doesn't care half of the time.

Babyblue · 12-27-2007, 12:02 AM

It really doesn't take a cat to know that a person will die. I understand animals can sense weird things.. but I have worked in nursing home way before I started teaching...Usually you can tell if a person is ready to pass...by the way they act or talk...some act better than usual some act worse than usual.. when the go out or sorts then you know the red flag is up... I do believe animals can sense that. Dog or Cat. But I also believe the nurses as well as the animal knows when a person is on their way out.

Babyblue · 12-27-2007, 12:04 AM

It really doesn't take a cat to know that a person will die. I understand animals can sense weird things.. but I have worked in nursing home way before I started teaching...Usually you can tell if a person is ready to pass...by the way they act or talk...some act better than usual some act worse than usual.. when the go out or sorts then you know the red flag is up... I do believe animals can sense that. Dog or Cat. But I also believe the nurses know before the cat does.

bbdqsony · 12-27-2007, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babyblue

It really doesn't take a cat to know that a person will die. I understand animals can sense weird things.. but I have worked in nursing home way before I started teaching...Usually you can tell if a person is ready to pass...by the way they act or talk...some act better than usual some act worse than usual.. when the go out or sorts then you know the red flag is up... I do believe animals can sense that. Dog or Cat. But I also believe the nurses know before the cat does.

Not true, in Hospice with resident that is sleeping or in coma, etc. You never know exactly when they will die. BP and HB helps us to figure out if they're dying or need close attention.

I had one patient that had strong BP and he has been in and out of his sleep for 4 years. I checked his BP that day and it was normal, and that day I notice one of his finger tip turned black (blood stopped flowing there) so I knew that he was dying.

TweetyBird · 12-27-2007, 08:59 AM

my cat know me or my hubby get sick, he will near one of us and comfortable us.. he is so sweet..

Babyblue · 12-27-2007, 09:20 AM

(Usually) knows when the resident is on their way out. They're some tough ones that likes to hang on.. and (Usually) when hospices arrive they are just making them comfortable and letting them die. Sometimes I think they are actually assisting the death by doping them up with so much morphine the lungs doesn't function right, fills up with fluid that is why you can hear or feel them gurgle when they breath their last few breaths. I never denied cats can sense death. Just saying usually people know also..and usually before.

bbdqsony · 12-27-2007, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babyblue

(Usually) knows when the resident is on their way out. They're some tough ones that likes to hang on.. and (Usually) when hospices arrive they are just making them comfortable and letting them die. Sometimes I think they are actually assisting the death by doping them up with so much morphine the lungs doesn't function right, fills up with fluid that is why you can hear or feel them gurgle when they breath their last few breaths. I never denied cats can sense death. Just saying usually people know also..and usually before.

Yeah your right,

We'd give them Morphine to less their pain, they had to use tube feeding and IV since they cannot eat so they won't die hungry. I understand that they may know they're dying and want to die already. I've seen resident trying to fight to stay alive, some wasn't afraid.

I remember one day this lady was awake week before she died, her family was in room with her while I was giving her med. She was smiling and told her daughter "Sweetie, do not get too sad when I die, be happy for me I'm going to rejoin papa up there. Just take good care of my grandchildren and I'll be watching you guys from up there. Make me proud!" I was reading her lips and it touched me, I had to walk out of the room cuz it was too emotionally.

She had passed away week later, I had to time her death and notifty our RN and they contact the family. I had to prepare her as request to put her in normal clothes instead of gown, I did that even tho it was CNA work to do but I decide to do it myself since I work closely with this resident.

I miss working with residents but its too emotionally for me.

Babyblue · 12-27-2007, 10:32 AM

bbdqsony what did you do in the Nursing homes CNA or Hospic?

***VamPyroX*** · 12-27-2007, 10:50 AM

Hmm... didn't I read about this a long time ago?

bbdqsony · 12-27-2007, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babyblue

bbdqsony what did you do in the Nursing homes CNA or Hospic?

I was LPN which give residents meds and do observation, daily report, and checklist on our Cna staff on what they do daily.

Angel · 12-27-2007, 10:51 AM

Aw I love this story..I noticed my oldest cat Luckystar can sense my sadness, she would come by me and lay right beside me, my other cats never did that, only Luckystar, something special about this cat cause every since I got her during my first marriage, she would always run to me right after my ex abused me. It was very werid, because all my life I had cats, and I swear I've never seen anything like this before, it almost like she knew exactly what was going on and knew what I was feeling inside. I'm glad I found her, shes my little angel.

***VamPyroX*** · 12-27-2007, 11:12 AM

Oh yeah!

http://www.alldeaf.com/our-pets/4353...ts-deaths.html

Kalista · 12-27-2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VamPyroX

Oh yeah!

http://www.alldeaf.com/our-pets/4353...ts-deaths.html

Can two threads combined as merge? It wouldn't make us read double same topic in two threads.

***VamPyroX*** · 12-27-2007, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalista

Can two threads combined as merge? It wouldn't make us read double same topic in two threads.

Done!

Lil_country_gal · 12-30-2007, 08:34 PM

I've heard of that some how i don't need to know when i'm going to die except at least he does comfort them

07-25-2007, 07:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Kalista Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 7,470	Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live. "He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses. After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours. Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said. Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill She was convinced of Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near. Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside. Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure. No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him. Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has read Dosa's article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying. If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it's also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said. Nursing home staffers aren't concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying. Oscar recently received a wall plaque publicly commending his "compassionate hospice care." Science writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report. On the Net: New England Journal of Medicine: The New England Journal of Medicine: Research & Review Articles on Diseases & Clinical Practice

07-26-2007, 01:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hell Posts: 27,844	I read about that recently... freaky! __________________ Check out my city... CLICK HERE! (If you already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

07-26-2007, 11:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Sheila Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 302	Yeah, I read this yesterday. That's pretty cool. __________________ "An interpreter must give his blood to the work interpreted." -Claude Arrau Deaf Love

07-26-2007, 10:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
Miss-Delectable Capt Tony Nelson, Jeannie Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: No.1 Shopping Capital in Australia Posts: 8,854 Blog Entries: 3	Unreal! __________________

12-26-2007, 10:48 PM	#7 (permalink)
restless_heart ...Forever undefeated... Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: somewhere in the mountain, Pennsylvania Posts: 1,150	awww sweet story...my cat Saberina always knows if I am sick, mad or happy. She always go under cover with me each night till I fall asleep then she sleep next to my feet. When I am sick, she won't leave me at all. It is almost as if she was giving me this worry look. If I am angry, she stay as FAR away from me. I do believe cats do have sense in humans. I can tell from my own cat. Even she knows what you are saying or how you feel. Amazing. My other cat is not like Saberina. She doesn't care half of the time. __________________ Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery & My return to NFL...by Tedy Bruschi

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07-26-2007, 01:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
ClearSky Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,084	I just saw this in the News today. That doesn't surprise me. I always thought a cat should be in nursing homes. I figure, he got keen at it by growing up as a kitten, but other than that...pretty much animals know when something's up with people. It's the same thing as the dogs that are able to predict when their guardian will have a seizure. I doubt this has to do with the warm blanket because if the nurses are wrong, then the cat obviously won't be there unless the patient is really about to die within a few hours, so I don't buy the warm blanket. This is so neat.

12-27-2007, 12:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
Babyblue Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,550	It really doesn't take a cat to know that a person will die. I understand animals can sense weird things.. but I have worked in nursing home way before I started teaching...Usually you can tell if a person is ready to pass...by the way they act or talk...some act better than usual some act worse than usual.. when the go out or sorts then you know the red flag is up... I do believe animals can sense that. Dog or Cat. But I also believe the nurses as well as the animal knows when a person is on their way out.

12-27-2007, 12:04 AM	#9 (permalink)
Babyblue Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,550	It really doesn't take a cat to know that a person will die. I understand animals can sense weird things.. but I have worked in nursing home way before I started teaching...Usually you can tell if a person is ready to pass...by the way they act or talk...some act better than usual some act worse than usual.. when the go out or sorts then you know the red flag is up... I do believe animals can sense that. Dog or Cat. But I also believe the nurses know before the cat does.

12-27-2007, 08:59 AM	#11 (permalink)
TweetyBird ~ Fall ~ Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 21,406	my cat know me or my hubby get sick, he will near one of us and comfortable us.. he is so sweet..

12-27-2007, 09:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
Babyblue Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,550	(Usually) knows when the resident is on their way out. They're some tough ones that likes to hang on.. and (Usually) when hospices arrive they are just making them comfortable and letting them die. Sometimes I think they are actually assisting the death by doping them up with so much morphine the lungs doesn't function right, fills up with fluid that is why you can hear or feel them gurgle when they breath their last few breaths. I never denied cats can sense death. Just saying usually people know also..and usually before.

12-27-2007, 10:32 AM	#14 (permalink)
Babyblue Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,550	bbdqsony what did you do in the Nursing homes CNA or Hospic?

12-27-2007, 10:50 AM	#15 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hell Posts: 27,844	Hmm... didn't I read about this a long time ago? __________________ Check out my city... CLICK HERE! (If you already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

12-27-2007, 10:51 AM	#17 (permalink)
Angel ♥"Concrete Angel"♥ Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 19,088	Aw I love this story..I noticed my oldest cat Luckystar can sense my sadness, she would come by me and lay right beside me, my other cats never did that, only Luckystar, something special about this cat cause every since I got her during my first marriage, she would always run to me right after my ex abused me. It was very werid, because all my life I had cats, and I swear I've never seen anything like this before, it almost like she knew exactly what was going on and knew what I was feeling inside. I'm glad I found her, shes my little angel. __________________ "When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is brought in our life, OR in the life of another." ~ Helen Keller

12-27-2007, 11:12 AM	#18 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hell Posts: 27,844	Oh yeah! http://www.alldeaf.com/our-pets/4353...ts-deaths.html __________________ Check out my city... CLICK HERE! (If you already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

12-30-2007, 08:34 PM	#21 (permalink)
Lil_country_gal Cowgirl Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Saint Joseph, MN Posts: 2,310	I've heard of that some how i don't need to know when i'm going to die except at least he does comfort them __________________ Put some excitement between your legs.... Ride a Horse Laicy Always and Forever

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