Did you know that the house cats we have learned to love and care for descended from Felis silvestris lybica (African wildcat) in the Fertile Crescent (now Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and some regions of Kuwait, Turkey, and Iran) and in ancient Egypt during the Classical Period (1775–1825)?

During that period, agriculture was developing in the region, and along with that were vermin, such as rodents. Cats played a huge role in controlling rodent populations that were destroying the crops. Then started the invaluable relationship between cats and humans, which is very much evident nowadays. It has come to the point that people would joke around saying that between humans and cats, the latter is actually the “owner” due to their solitary and bossy attitude.

Here we introduce Oscar, the so-called therapy cat or hospice cat at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island, United States of America, where people with end-stage Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and other illnesses are treated. It is believed that Oscar had the ability to sense patients who would soon pass away. Dr. David Dosa, a health researcher at Brown University, wrote a book about Oscar due to the cat’s alleged skill. 

Apparently, in 2005, Oscar was one of the six cats adopted by the hospice facility, as they claim their center to be pet-friendly. During Oscar’s six-month stay, staff noticed that the cat tended to hang around patients who would eventually die hours later.

In an interview with Dr. Dosa, Oscar was initially an aloof cat who preferred to be alone in inconspicuous places, but over time, they observed that occasionally he would come near a patient and nap around them until they essentially passed away.

“As it turned out,” Dr. Dosa explains, “we would eventually find out after he did this several times that the people he was staying with were usually the next ones to go. One death occurred, then two deaths, and ultimately he hit about 20 or 30 deaths in a row, at which point everybody started to say, ‘Wow, this is something quite unique.’” (from Crossroad Hospice)

Due to the unusual talent of Oscar and because it had been accurate by far during that time, the hospice staff actually adopted a protocol wherein when Oscar decided to curl up on the bed of a certain patient, they would call the patient’s family in anticipation of death.

Until today, there have been no published scientific journals about Oscar’s bizarre ability. Dr. Dosa had shared his thoughts that it could be possible that Oscar was responding to a pheromone or smell that the patients emitted before their deaths. 

Some families have expressed their appreciation towards Oscar, as they believed that the cat had provided comfort to their loved ones during those dire times.

While not everyone is fond of felines, cats do have their way in our hearts. Aside from their traits of being low-maintenance because they are independent animals, we enjoy their presence due to their playfulness and cuteness. While they may not have been as “useful” as they were during the ancient period, they still do bring a sense of comfort (and again, they’re cute!). Some studies have actually proved that interactions with cats can reduce stress, as petting them prompts our brain to release oxytocin, or the love hormone. So if you’ve been feeling down in the dumps recently, maybe consider getting a cat!