Doctor pens book about RI death cat

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (FOX Providence) - The local cat with a sixth sense is drawing national attention, again! But, this time it's in a book written about him.

It appears Oscar has a unique ability for predicting when patients at a Providence nursing home are in their final hours of life. Although, a sniff of a patient's hand is not an indicator of Oscar's unique ability. Like five other cats, the two year old roams free on the third floor of Steere House Nursing Home .

But unlike the others, or even the doctors, "he's been involved with the last 25 deaths we've had in the unit," said a head nurse at Steere House. In total Oscar is credit with sensing about 50 deaths so far.

For years she's been watching as Oscar makes his daily rounds, visiting every room. But he curls up only on the beds of patients, who are only a couple of hours from passing.

"And he will only settle in rooms where patients are about to die. He will leave rooms, for example, when patients aren't close, even though we've perceived them to be close," said Dr. David Dosa, of Steere House Nursing And Rehabilitation Center and author of ' Making Rounds With Oscar- The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat".

Not everyone wants Oscar in their loved ones room. When the door is closed on a patient who is about to die, "Oscar will frantically pace in front of the room. And that is really something to see."

Doctor Dosa who wrote the essay that sent this otherwise shy cat into the public eye, believes there could be a scientific reason for this otherwise unexplainable bedside manner.

"Whether it's a pheromone or a scent that people release. That's really a question for people in different fields than mine," added Dosa.

Dr. David Dosa joined The Rhode Show to talk more about his new book and what lead him to write it.

Check it out in the attached video.