Have you seen the article about Oscar the cat? Oscar was raised by nurses in a hospice and they say he can predict when a patient is going to die. A few hours before they take their last breath, Oscar goes to their room and curls up in bed with them. Coincidence right? Well Oscar is not a cuddly cat and doesn’t make a habit of laying on patients beds, until they are about to die that is.

There are all sorts of theories about what might be happening. Can Oscar smell certain hormones that are only present upon death, can he sense a change in temperature, etc? No one really knows for sure, but the staff seems to believe Oscar is the real deal. And so do the families of the patients he chooses to watch over. Maybe he is some sort of modern day angel of death, accompanying these people on their journey. Maybe it is just a fluke, although I can’t help believe there is something more to this story.

It seems to me lthat Oscar has been tasked with quite a job to do. One we may not be able to understand. I just hope the hospice continues to allow this extraordinary cat to make his rounds and provide some comfort to those in their final hours. I would imagine they appreciate his quiet company.

Update: Boy this cat is getting a lot of coverage!  

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