Cat Provides Care for the Dying

Posted by Jennifer Copley Jun 22, 2008

Three-year-old Oscar has attended over 25 deaths since he was brought to live at Steere House as a kitten. When a patient is in his or her last hour of life, Oscar provides comfort. He doesn’t show any special interest in patients who are very ill, or even those who are dying but have several days left. Oscar knows exactly which patients will soon be moving on.

Like the nurses and doctors who work at the facility, Oscar does rounds, checking on patients. When he finds a dying patient, Oscar jumps up on the bed and purrs and nuzzles the person, offering end-of-life comfort. After a patient takes his or her last breath, Oscar rises quietly and leaves the room.

Oscar’s ability to predict death is so accurate that Steere House staff have time to notify the families of the dying so that they can be with their loved ones in the final hour. Most families appreciate Oscar’s ministrations to their dying loved ones, but occasionally a family is spooked by Oscar and asks that he be kept out of the room. In these instances, Oscar rubs aggressively against the door of the patient’s room, pacing and yowling in frustration.

Animal experts have theorized that Oscar uses his sense of smell to detect subtle changes in human metabolism to predict imminent death, but they are bewildered as to why Oscar should be motivated to comfort the dying. However, cat owners who have received comfort from their pets in times of crisis will find Oscar’s behaviour unsurprising. For stories about Oscar, visit Oscar’s fan page. To view a slide show of Oscar, see Boston.com.

To read about other helpful cats, see Cat Heroes, Prison Therapy Cats and Dogs and Cats with Jobs.