CAT A TONIC

Cat predicts patients' deaths

A cat at a US nursing home appears to be able to predict when patients are going to die. According to an essay in the respected New England Journal of Medicine, Oscar's predictions are proving more accurate than trained medical staff.
A detailed essay of Oscar's behaviour in the New England Journal Of Medical Science says the cat has presided over the deaths of 25 patients in the advanced dementia unit of Steere House in Providence, Rhode Island.
Oscar, rescued as a kitten from an animal refuge two years ago, does not usually care much for human company but every now and then, he snaps to attention, seeks out a patient and curls up in bed next to them.
He stays there paying attention to the patient as family members say their goodbyes and the priest give last rights, and then dissappears once the patient has died.
Oscar's predictions have been so accurate that staff now call a patient's family if the cat appears purring at the door. Loved ones often have just enough time to say goodbye.