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Doctor’s book stars death-predicting cat

 
By the Associated Press | Modified: January 31, 2010 at 10:39 pm | Published: February 1, 2010    Comment on this article Leave a comment

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The scientist in Dr. David Dosa was skeptical when first told that Oscar, an aloof cat kept by a nursing home, regularly predicted patients’ deaths by snuggling alongside them in their final hours.

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Dosa’s doubts eroded after he and his colleagues tallied about 50 correct calls made by Oscar over five years, a process he explains in a book released this week, "Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.” (Hyperion, $23.99)

"People actually were taking great comfort in this idea, that this animal was there and might be there when their loved ones eventually pass,” Dosa said. "He was there when they couldn’t be.”

Dosa, 37, a geriatrician and professor at Brown University, works on the third floor of the Steere House, which treats patients with severe dementia. It’s usually the last stop for people so ill they cannot speak or recognize their spouses.

Many caregivers consider Oscar a comforting presence.

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