Today in the New England Journal of Medicine is a story of Oscar the cat. Oscar, dubbed by the media as a furry grim reaper, resides at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island.
In 25 cases, since the facility has been taking notice, he has “predicted” the impending death of the patients residing at the facility. Oscar joins the patients usually about 4 hours before they depart.
Dr. David M Dosa shares his anecdotal account which has been pooh-poohed by at least one veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Nicolas Dodman director of Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine .
Without hard scientific data, most academics dismiss anecdotal behavior observations. However, it doesn’t keep others from noticing it and reporting it–and taking it seriously.
Working therapy animals have the same sixth sense and service dogs detect and warn owners about impending seizures and other medical issues before onset.
Many of us who work with animals don’t dismiss anecdotal behavior, we consider a variety of factors in assessing conditions or circumstances in addition to anecdotal observations–but it would be a mistake to totally dismiss it.
Once the world was supposed to be flat…and those who claimed otherwise were under harsh scrutiny. Opposite findings appear regularly in studies years after an initial discovery has been reported with a different finding. Is there really a final word?
Oscar seems to have a knack for identifying impending death and alerts staff to the process. Studies have shown that animals do have a positive physiological impact on humans and this may be another area humans have missed considering.
Oscar’s benefit to the person transitioning, his solace to the family in the room, and to the staff who work in a stress filled environment filled with illness and death is something that probably can’t truly be measured.
Hospice workers perform valuable services–and whether or not they are a valued furry staff member or not shouldn’t matter–and Oscar the furry hospice aid is surely valued by staff and the family members of the patients housed where he works.
