Oscar the Therapy Cat: A Unique Talent for Sensing Impending Deaths

In 2005, a US nursing home introduced Oscar, a six-month-old kitten, as a therapy cat. Staff members soon observed a peculiar behavior in him. While Oscar typically enjoyed solitude, there were instances when he would choose to lie beside a particular resident. Strikingly, those chosen residents often passed away within a few hours. Initially, the staff didn't attach much significance to this behavior. However, as it occurred 20 times, they began to speculate that Oscar might possess an uncanny ability to predict impending deaths. Consequently, they started notifying the families of residents whenever Oscar chose to be with them.

Some individuals theorize that Oscar could detect specific odors emitted by dying cells, explaining his inclination to comfort those who were alone.In a notable incident, there was a situation where the staff anticipated one resident's imminent passing, but Oscar opted to stay with another person who appeared healthier. Surprisingly, the healthier-looking individual succumbed first.

In 2005, a nursing home in the US got a six-month-old kitten named Oscar as a therapy cat. The staff soon noticed something unusual about him.

Oscar often liked to be by himself, but sometimes he would go and lie next to one of the residents. Strangely, the resident he chose… pic.twitter.com/eA5TzK09Wr

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) December 24, 2023

Oscar's extraordinary talent endured until he passed away in 2022, successfully forecasting more than 100 deaths throughout his life. Researchers propose that this capability might be attributed to his keen sense of smell, allowing him to detect biochemicals released by dying cells. Dr. David M. Dosa, as reported in his 2007 article, posited that Oscar could have been responding to pheromones undetectable by humans.